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The Guardian
3 days ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
Before and after the NSW floods: view from the sky reveals scale of disaster
Deadly and devastating flood waters from the Hunter to the mid-north coast in New South Wales have subsided and a massive clean up blitz has begun. Five people have been confirmed dead, more than 1,000 buildings deemed uninhabitable and flood damage was inflicted on an estimated 10,000 properties. About 3,500 people remain isolated, despite waters receding in recent days. New aerial images show the scale of devastation. Recovery crews have removed 10,000 cubic metres of waste from affected areas and more than 1,500 tonnes of debris from roads, government officials said, with about 5,000 pot holes repaired. 'Recovery is going to take time,' the federal emergency services minister, Kristy McBain, told ABC radio on Wednesday. 'This isn't going to be something that is done quickly and we've reiterated that we will be there for the long haul.' Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Over 6,000 NSW government staff and volunteers have been deployed. More than 9,200 damage assessments have been conducted, with about 2,000 to go, the NSW minister for emergency services, Jihad Dib, told state parliament. Many of the more than 1,000 buildings deemed uninhabitable may only be so for the short term. 'In some of those cases, it's just flooding over the floorboards, or minor damage,' he said. 'It doesn't mean that they're uninhabitable completely.' But about 30 homes need 'serious work' or are beyond repair. Affected NSW farmers are also reeling; in scenes similar to floods in Queensland earlier this year, where estimated stock losses totalled more than 150,000. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion With Australian Associated Press
Free Malaysia Today
22-05-2025
- Climate
- Free Malaysia Today
Flash floods cut off inland Australian towns, residents flee to rooftops
Some residents were trapped on roofs in the towns of Taree and Glenthorne, with emergency crews struggling overnight to access the area. (AP pic) SYDNEY : Heavy rain in Australia's southeast triggered flash flooding and cut off entire towns today, stranding some residents on the roofs of their homes, as authorities issued snap evacuation orders with rivers staying above danger levels. Rural towns in the Hunter and Mid North Coast regions of New South Wales, Australia's most populous state, were the worst hit from the downpour, with some areas receiving more than four months worth of rain over the past 24 hours. 'We have seen an enormous amount of rainfall,' New South Wales emergency services minister Jihad Dib told reporters. 'We've got a situation here where the rain really has been falling quite heavily and quite hard, and it hasn't been moving away. Part of that is because the ground is saturated and another part is also because the rivers are swollen.' In its latest update, Australia's bureau of meteorology said some areas could receive up to 300mm of rain over the next 24 hours, three times the mean total for May. Images shared on social media showed some residents sitting inside their homes ankle-deep in water waiting for rescue crews. In the towns of Taree and Glenthorne, which sit along the Manning River more than 300km north of Sydney, some residents were trapped on verandas and roofs with emergency crews struggling overnight to access the area by boat or air, authorities said. 'We didn't expect this amount of water,' Glenthorne resident Jordan Halloran told ABC News. 'Our neighbours will have to go onto the roof next and if we're not rescued, I would say we will have to make our way to the roof as well.' New South emergency services commissioner Mike Wassing said emergency crews were giving top priority to rescuing vulnerable people and those who could not leave their homes. 'The current focus (will be on) people that are actually on roofs or in other cases might be on the second story of their home,' Wassing said.
The Advertiser
22-05-2025
- Climate
- The Advertiser
Where the rain is going to hit next: severe weather warnings move south
Persistent, drenching rain that has so far claimed the lives of two people in floodwaters is sliding south and is expected to soak the Southern Highlands, Blue Mountains and southern Hunter. May rainfall records have been broken in parts of the mid north coast of NSW, including in some areas where nearly half a metre fell in less than a week. While widespread flooding continues even as the rain eases on the coast, the weather system is shifting south and inland, the Bureau of Meteorology said. A severe warning for heavy, intense rainfall has been issued for the southern Hunter, Blue Mountains and Southern Highlands and flash flooding is possible from early on May 23. A flood watch is also in place for catchments from the Central Coast to the south coast. "It's all sliding to the south and because of that, the rain will also be moving southwards," bureau senior meteorologist Angus Hines said. Six hourly rainfall totals of between 60mm and 90mm were possible and more than 130mm could fall over 24 hours in some parts. "All of those southern districts in the state will be getting some rain, if not already, then by the end of the day," he said. Two people have died so far in floodwaters, including a man in his 30s found at Rosewood, near Wauchope, and a 63-year-old man at Moto, north east of Taree. Another two people were still missing on the afternoon of May 22 - at Grafton and Dorrigo - while some rivers were still rising. The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) had issued 151 active warnings by 4pm, more than 30 of them at emergency level. Since the rain event began nearly a week ago, the SES had responded to about 4000 incidents, including 500 flood rescues. Flooding had closed the Pacific Highway in both directions between Coopernook and Purfleet, near Taree, while fewer trains were running on the Hunter line. The Oxley Highway was closed between Thrumster and Wauchope, as well as at Rosewood, Long Flat and Mount Seaview, the NSW Transport Management Centre said. While rain on the mid north coast would finally ease in the evening of May 22, the danger from flooding and higher levels remained, NSW Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib said. "We are sending in all our available emergency service resources to support the impacted region," he said in a statement. "Please check the NSW SES website and Hazards Near Me app and follow public safety advice." The Bureau of Meteorology expects the weather system dumping rain to be on its last legs by the evening of May 23. "But early next week we get a very different type of weather system sweeping through NSW," meteorologist Angus Hines said. "This is going to be moving up from the south west and the primary impact with that is likely to be the strong to damaging winds that it spreads throughout the entire state. "So getting very windy on Monday next week." SES 132 500 Triple zero 000 Service NSW 13 77 88 Bureau of Meteorology warnings Persistent, drenching rain that has so far claimed the lives of two people in floodwaters is sliding south and is expected to soak the Southern Highlands, Blue Mountains and southern Hunter. May rainfall records have been broken in parts of the mid north coast of NSW, including in some areas where nearly half a metre fell in less than a week. While widespread flooding continues even as the rain eases on the coast, the weather system is shifting south and inland, the Bureau of Meteorology said. A severe warning for heavy, intense rainfall has been issued for the southern Hunter, Blue Mountains and Southern Highlands and flash flooding is possible from early on May 23. A flood watch is also in place for catchments from the Central Coast to the south coast. "It's all sliding to the south and because of that, the rain will also be moving southwards," bureau senior meteorologist Angus Hines said. Six hourly rainfall totals of between 60mm and 90mm were possible and more than 130mm could fall over 24 hours in some parts. "All of those southern districts in the state will be getting some rain, if not already, then by the end of the day," he said. Two people have died so far in floodwaters, including a man in his 30s found at Rosewood, near Wauchope, and a 63-year-old man at Moto, north east of Taree. Another two people were still missing on the afternoon of May 22 - at Grafton and Dorrigo - while some rivers were still rising. The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) had issued 151 active warnings by 4pm, more than 30 of them at emergency level. Since the rain event began nearly a week ago, the SES had responded to about 4000 incidents, including 500 flood rescues. Flooding had closed the Pacific Highway in both directions between Coopernook and Purfleet, near Taree, while fewer trains were running on the Hunter line. The Oxley Highway was closed between Thrumster and Wauchope, as well as at Rosewood, Long Flat and Mount Seaview, the NSW Transport Management Centre said. While rain on the mid north coast would finally ease in the evening of May 22, the danger from flooding and higher levels remained, NSW Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib said. "We are sending in all our available emergency service resources to support the impacted region," he said in a statement. "Please check the NSW SES website and Hazards Near Me app and follow public safety advice." The Bureau of Meteorology expects the weather system dumping rain to be on its last legs by the evening of May 23. "But early next week we get a very different type of weather system sweeping through NSW," meteorologist Angus Hines said. "This is going to be moving up from the south west and the primary impact with that is likely to be the strong to damaging winds that it spreads throughout the entire state. "So getting very windy on Monday next week." SES 132 500 Triple zero 000 Service NSW 13 77 88 Bureau of Meteorology warnings Persistent, drenching rain that has so far claimed the lives of two people in floodwaters is sliding south and is expected to soak the Southern Highlands, Blue Mountains and southern Hunter. May rainfall records have been broken in parts of the mid north coast of NSW, including in some areas where nearly half a metre fell in less than a week. While widespread flooding continues even as the rain eases on the coast, the weather system is shifting south and inland, the Bureau of Meteorology said. A severe warning for heavy, intense rainfall has been issued for the southern Hunter, Blue Mountains and Southern Highlands and flash flooding is possible from early on May 23. A flood watch is also in place for catchments from the Central Coast to the south coast. "It's all sliding to the south and because of that, the rain will also be moving southwards," bureau senior meteorologist Angus Hines said. Six hourly rainfall totals of between 60mm and 90mm were possible and more than 130mm could fall over 24 hours in some parts. "All of those southern districts in the state will be getting some rain, if not already, then by the end of the day," he said. Two people have died so far in floodwaters, including a man in his 30s found at Rosewood, near Wauchope, and a 63-year-old man at Moto, north east of Taree. Another two people were still missing on the afternoon of May 22 - at Grafton and Dorrigo - while some rivers were still rising. The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) had issued 151 active warnings by 4pm, more than 30 of them at emergency level. Since the rain event began nearly a week ago, the SES had responded to about 4000 incidents, including 500 flood rescues. Flooding had closed the Pacific Highway in both directions between Coopernook and Purfleet, near Taree, while fewer trains were running on the Hunter line. The Oxley Highway was closed between Thrumster and Wauchope, as well as at Rosewood, Long Flat and Mount Seaview, the NSW Transport Management Centre said. While rain on the mid north coast would finally ease in the evening of May 22, the danger from flooding and higher levels remained, NSW Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib said. "We are sending in all our available emergency service resources to support the impacted region," he said in a statement. "Please check the NSW SES website and Hazards Near Me app and follow public safety advice." The Bureau of Meteorology expects the weather system dumping rain to be on its last legs by the evening of May 23. "But early next week we get a very different type of weather system sweeping through NSW," meteorologist Angus Hines said. "This is going to be moving up from the south west and the primary impact with that is likely to be the strong to damaging winds that it spreads throughout the entire state. "So getting very windy on Monday next week." SES 132 500 Triple zero 000 Service NSW 13 77 88 Bureau of Meteorology warnings Persistent, drenching rain that has so far claimed the lives of two people in floodwaters is sliding south and is expected to soak the Southern Highlands, Blue Mountains and southern Hunter. May rainfall records have been broken in parts of the mid north coast of NSW, including in some areas where nearly half a metre fell in less than a week. While widespread flooding continues even as the rain eases on the coast, the weather system is shifting south and inland, the Bureau of Meteorology said. A severe warning for heavy, intense rainfall has been issued for the southern Hunter, Blue Mountains and Southern Highlands and flash flooding is possible from early on May 23. A flood watch is also in place for catchments from the Central Coast to the south coast. "It's all sliding to the south and because of that, the rain will also be moving southwards," bureau senior meteorologist Angus Hines said. Six hourly rainfall totals of between 60mm and 90mm were possible and more than 130mm could fall over 24 hours in some parts. "All of those southern districts in the state will be getting some rain, if not already, then by the end of the day," he said. Two people have died so far in floodwaters, including a man in his 30s found at Rosewood, near Wauchope, and a 63-year-old man at Moto, north east of Taree. Another two people were still missing on the afternoon of May 22 - at Grafton and Dorrigo - while some rivers were still rising. The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) had issued 151 active warnings by 4pm, more than 30 of them at emergency level. Since the rain event began nearly a week ago, the SES had responded to about 4000 incidents, including 500 flood rescues. Flooding had closed the Pacific Highway in both directions between Coopernook and Purfleet, near Taree, while fewer trains were running on the Hunter line. The Oxley Highway was closed between Thrumster and Wauchope, as well as at Rosewood, Long Flat and Mount Seaview, the NSW Transport Management Centre said. While rain on the mid north coast would finally ease in the evening of May 22, the danger from flooding and higher levels remained, NSW Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib said. "We are sending in all our available emergency service resources to support the impacted region," he said in a statement. "Please check the NSW SES website and Hazards Near Me app and follow public safety advice." The Bureau of Meteorology expects the weather system dumping rain to be on its last legs by the evening of May 23. "But early next week we get a very different type of weather system sweeping through NSW," meteorologist Angus Hines said. "This is going to be moving up from the south west and the primary impact with that is likely to be the strong to damaging winds that it spreads throughout the entire state. "So getting very windy on Monday next week." SES 132 500 Triple zero 000 Service NSW 13 77 88 Bureau of Meteorology warnings
ABC News
22-05-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
SES says lessons learnt in 2022 Lismore floods helping Mid North Coast torrential rainfall response
As severe weather inundates the Mid North Coast and Hunter region, emergency services say lessons have been both learned and applied since the last major floods along the NSW coastline. A person has died, and three others are missing, as torrential falls are expected to continue across the catchment, with the potential for a fourth consecutive day of totals above 100 millimetres. More than 1,000 volunteers, first responders, and members of the defence force are helping to rescue civilians and are attending to damage in the northern region of the state. Follow our live coverage of the NSW floods As of midday Thursday, there are nearly 150 warnings in place and 50,000 people in areas where they should prepare to evacuate. According to a forecast by the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) just before midday, it is likely to rain for several more hours, but the rainfall accumulations are expected to slow down before "winding back" on Friday. "Much of the wettest areas in the north-east of the state will see the worst rain today, much dryer from tomorrow," senior meteorologist Angus Hines said. The Northern Rivers area was subject to the Lismore flood disaster of "bliblical proprotions" in February 2022, resulting in deaths and billions of dollars' worth of damage. It resulted in an independent expert inquiry commissioned by the state government and a report on impact and recovery from Lismore City Council. Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib acknowledged the learnings over the years. He said on Thursday morning that there was the "potential for other incidents" off the back of the recovery from ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred and storms in March. In this incident, Mr Dib said as soon as emergency services knew about the weather event, there was a "pre-deployment of assets and planning" more than a week before the rain band hit. "The other element that we need to also highlight is communication," Mr Dib said. Warning systems and the Hazard Near Me app issued a series of warnings instead of going "straight to an Evacuate" to keep people in the loop with notice. "Generally, what you would find is a watch and act, then a prepare to evacuate, then an evacuate, then move to higher ground. Member for Maitland Jenny Aitchison agreed there had been an "improvement" in coordination between services in the last three years. This has mostly been seen with how data is handled, which has gone from "whiteboards and butchers paper" to "incredible" systems. "[The] computer systems that can take in 600 data points and models using information from the Bureau of Meteorology and all the other agencies," she said. Ms Aitchison said the community was "lucky" that this event and the recent ex-Cyclone Alfred had unfolded slower this time around. "I think the key message for people to understand about this event is that we are in a very saturated ground situation with high river heights and unpredictable rainfall," she said. "My heart goes out to everyone who has been displaced." SES zone commander for the northern region, Andrew Cribb, said that this time around, new arrangements for life-threatening rescues had also kicked in. "Watching the prioritisation of those rescues is a classic example of some of the implementation of policy that was driven out of Lismore," the chief superintendent said. "The availability of some of the infrastructure [and] high-clearance vehicles has been a game changer and something that is really working well for the community." Chief Superintendent Cribb said the Hunter region, "unfortunately ... low on the flood plane", was experiencing flooding in the "usual areas". "Those communities are very resilient in the way they approach things," he said.
The Independent
22-05-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Record floodwaters in eastern Australia leave 1 dead and 3 missing
Record floodwaters on Australia's east coast left one person dead and three others missing, officials said Thursday, as more heavy rain was forecast in the area. Some 330 people were rescued in the flooding emergency in New South Wales state north of Sydney. The area has been hit with heavy rain since Tuesday. The flooding exceeds local records set in 1929. News South Wales Premier Christopher Minns said some areas were forecast to receive as much as 30 centimeters (1 foot) of rain in the next 24 hours. He said 50,000 people were warned to prepare to evacuate or be isolated by floodwaters, telling reporters: 'We are bracing for more bad news." The body of a 63-year-old man was recovered from a flooded house in Moto in New South Wales on Wednesday afternoon, Fire and Rescue Commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell said. A coroner will determine whether a pre-existing medical condition played a part in his death, he added. Three people — including a 60-year-old woman, a 25-year-old man and a 49-year-old man — were also reported missing, Fewtrell said. 'We hold grave fears for all three individuals,' he added. Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib said 330 flood rescues were conducted in the past 24 hours. Helicopters have been used to rescue people stranded by floodwaters from rooftops and verandahs. 'We've seen more rain and more flooding in the mid-to-north coast area than we've ever seen before,' Dib said. The flooding has hit communities including Taree, Kempsey, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour and Bellingen in New South Wales. Taree received a month's rain in 24 hours, Minns said. 'Up around the Taree area, we've seen communities that have never flooded in recorded history now flooding,' Fewtrell said. The region has opened 14 evacuation centers as of Thursday.
