Northern NSW towns brace for flooding as Lismore warning downgraded
By Chris Barrett
Northern NSW towns are bracing for the possibility of major flooding as ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred creeps inland, bringing torrential rain to the already sodden region.
Fears that Lismore could again be inundated have eased with downgrading of flood warnings on Sunday.
After lurking off the coast of South East Queensland for days, the tropical low finally made landfall about 9pm on Saturday between Brisbane and Maroochydore.
It has already left devastation in its wake with a 61-year-old driver of a ute swept away in floodwaters at Megan, in northern NSW, on Friday, and 13 soldiers injured in an accident involving two Australian Defence Force vehicles near Lismore on Saturday.
Major flood warnings were in place on Sunday for the Clarence River at Grafton, the Tweed River at Tumbulgum and the Richmond River at Wiangaree, Kyogle, Casino, Coraki, Bungawalbin and Woodburn.
Residents in Lismore, which bore the brunt of destructive flooding in 2022, had been alerted to the prospect of major flooding. But that assessment was downgraded as water levels in the Wilsons River fell.
Current severe weather warning area in northern NSW.Credit: Bureau of Meteorology
The Bureau of Meteorology said river levels peaked on Saturday afternoon at 9.31 metres and were likely to remain around the moderate flood level of 7.2 metres on Sunday before possibly receding beneath that mark on Monday.
A severe weather warning remained in place for the Northern Rivers, Northern Tablelands and parts of Mid North Coast and North West Slopes and Plains Forecast Districts, with possible rainfall of between 50 and 100 millimetres in six hours and between 100 millimetres and 150 millimetres over 24 hours.
The forecast deluge could bring flash-flooding and damaging wind gusts. Wet weather is predicted to ease on Monday afternoon.
In Queensland, severe weather warnings were also active for large parts of the south-east corner of the state, where 320,000 residents were without power, almost a third of that number on the Gold Coast.
In Brisbane, two people were injured, one of them hospitalised, as a result of falling trees in strong winds.
The NSW State Emergency Service on Sunday said it had performed 29 flood rescues and had attended 915 flood-related incidents in the previous 24 hours. Seventeen of the rescues were of people who had driven cars into floodwater.
Authorities urged communities to remain vigilant despite the cyclone having been downgraded to a low.
“We’ve got recovery in the corner of our eye,” said Rose Jackson, the NSW minister responsible for the North Coast. “We have seen some rivers slowly starting to have their water level drop. But we just want to make sure that we get through the next day or so keeping everyone safe, keeping our community safe, keeping our emergency services safe.”
Concerns about major flooding in Lismore are easing.Credit: Nick Moir
NSW Energy Minister Penny Sharpe said residents should not try to return home before emergency services told them that it was safe to do so.
“There are safety issues, and it is not just about the level of the water – it is live electricity wires, debris and dangerous areas,” she said.
Flood warnings in NSW were active as far south as Gloucester, west of Forster, and as far into the state as Coonamble, north of Dubbo.
More than 300 schools in northern NSW were scheduled to remain closed on Monday.
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
Most Viewed in National
>read more at © Sydney Morning Herald
Views: 0