Flash flooding led to multiple rescues overnight as some residents were ordered to prepare for isolation as the Murrumbidgee River floods yet again.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
State emergency services have warned residents in parts of Moorong to prepare to isolate as the Murrumbidgee rose above the minor flood level of 7.3 metres on Wednesday morning.
The Bureau of Meteorology is warning the river level will continue rising to at least eight metres by the evening with further rises expected across Thursday and Friday.
IN OTHER NEWS:
The State Emergency Services responded to rescue two drivers in separate incidents in and near Wagga on Tuesday night as more than 30 millimetres fell across parts of town in just six hours.
At about 10.10pm, SES assisted a female driver caught out in the deluge on the Olympic Highway near Estella.
An hour later, SES, police and ambulance also responded to a call for help to the west of Wagga.
"A single vehicle was travelling along the Sturt Highway [near Collingullie], when they hit some water on the road," Wagga SES spokesman Brett Koschel said.
"As a result, the vehicle left the road and ended up in a culvert on the side of the road and the vehicle needed to be removed from there."
The SES said the male driver remained in the vehicle during the rescue.
Once the vehicle was pulled to safety, the man was assessed by paramedics before leaving the scene.
"The rain we had on Tuesday afternoon and into the evening caused there to be water over the roads causing some issues for motorists, leading to those two calls for help late last night," Mr Koschel said.
Wagga was among the hardest hit by storms in the region on Tuesday as thunderstorms, heavy rainfall and hail rolled through.
The bureau's Kapooka gauge recorded 36.8 millimetres in the 24 hours to 9am Thursday, while Wagga Airport recorded just 15 mm.
Other Riverina towns to record sizeable falls in that period include Gundagai with 23 mm, West Wyalong with 19.2 mm, and Cootamundra and Tumbarumba both recorded 14 mm.
Water remains over the road in multiple locations with several Riverina Highways still closed due to flooding.
Turning to the catchments, Burrinjuck Dam recorded 19 mm of rain in that period, with the dam now sitting at 103.77 per cent capacity and spilling.
Blowering Dam is also nearly spilling as it sits on 99.79 per cent full.
It comes as the SES advice residents in the following Wagga area(s) to PREPARE TO ISOLATE due to predictions that the Murrumbidgee River is likely to exceed the minor flood level:
- Parts of Flowerdale Road, Moorong outside the levee
- Parts of northern end of Scott Street, Moorong
"You should monitor the situation and prepare to be isolated by floodwater. Consider the effects isolation will have on family, work, and educational commitments," the SES said.
"You may be trapped without power, water, and other essential services and it may be too dangerous for NSW SES to rescue you."
Based on predictions from the bureau, the following areas may be impacted by flooding:
- Access roads may be cut
- Floodwater may impact low lying areas along the river
What affected residents need to do:
- If you have a Home and/or Business Emergency Plan, use it now. Otherwise, have a conversation and plan for what you will do and take with you if you need to evacuate.
- Be prepared - you may be isolated for an extended period of time. Make sure you have essential supplies prepared to last for at least three to five days, including food, drinking water, medications, pet food, and animal feed.
- Be prepared - you may lose services including power, communications, water, sewerage, and gas. Relocate waste containers, chemicals, and poisons well above the flood level.
- Companion animals and livestock should be relocated to higher ground that will not become an island.
- Monitor the situation closely for updates on rain and river conditions.
- Share this information with family, friends, and neighbours, and help others prepare for isolation where possible.
- If you are isolated and require resupply, contact NSW SES on 132 500.
For more information:
- Listen to your local ABC radio station which can be found at reception.abc.net.au.
- Follow us on social media @NSWSES or visit our website at www.ses.nsw.gov.au
- Learn about your risk at www.ses.nsw.gov.au/your-risk/
- Check latest weather, warnings, rainfall and river heights at bom.gov.au/nsw/
- Check road closures at livetraffic.com.au or 132 701 or your local Council.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Download our app from the Apple Store or Google Play
- Bookmark dailyadvertiser.com.au
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters