Govind Tekale
Heavy rain continues to hammer New South Wales’ Hunter and Mid North Coast regions, forcing residents to leave their homes in the middle of the night as flood waters rise rapidly.
The rainfall numbers tell a dramatic story. Taree Airport recorded 273mm of rain since yesterday morning, while Port Macquarie Airport saw 230mm. These aren’t just big numbers – they’re breaking May rainfall records in several areas.
“We’ve had over 220mm of rain over the Barrington Tops in the last 20 hours… just sensational numbers, and we’re seeing the impacts of that,” said Andrew Cribb, Northern Zone Commander at the State Emergency Service.
The emergency response has been massive. Over 2,000 calls for help came in the last 24 hours, with emergency teams responding to 1,400 incidents. Most worrying are the 31 flood rescues, many involving people driving through flood waters.
Emergency teams had to wake up residents late at night in Dungog and Paterson, telling them to leave immediately. About 20 homes in Dungog were evacuated, with residents spending the night at the local RSL club.
The rain isn’t letting up. Weather experts say it could dump another 100-250mm over the next two to three days. This is particularly dangerous because the ground is already soaked from previous rainfall, meaning new rain runs straight into rivers and creeks.
Similar Posts
Dallas Byrnes, NSW SES chief superintendent, puts it plainly: “If you come across a flooded roadway, find an alternative route. You are putting yourselves and your loved ones in danger.”
The flooding has shut down 31 public schools and 4 independent schools across the Mid North Coast, Central Coast and Hunter regions. Major roads are underwater, and trains between Newcastle, Scone and Dungog have been replaced by buses.
Rivers are rising fast. The Paterson River at Gostwyck Bridge has already passed the minor flood level of 9.19m and could reach 13.5m – nearly matching the March 2021 flood levels. The Williams River at Dungog is also expected to hit major flood levels.
Five emergency warnings are currently active, telling residents in parts of Buladelah, Patterson, Dungog, and Gloucester to evacuate, while Taree residents must seek shelter. Another 14 watch and act warnings are in place across the region.
The weather system responsible for all this rain is moving slowly northward, which means the danger isn’t passing quickly. Strong winds are also causing problems along the coast, making beach conditions dangerous from Byron to Sydney.
For those needing help: call 000 for life-threatening emergencies, or 132 500 for flood and storm assistance. Stay updated through the Hazards Near Me NSW app or the NSW SES website.
