North Wagga residents still on alert after homes come close to inundation by 2022 floods

The State Emergency Service responded to more than 20,000 calls for help since August across the Central West, Riverina, and Northern NSW.

Widespread rain filled most of the state's dams, which spilled the Murrumbidgee, Lachlan and Murray Rivers and most other natural waterways.

In Wagga, the last flood peak in November was the third since the beginning of August, and inundated roads and threatened to inundate low-lying areas.

This series, Left in the Wake, reflects on what has become the biggest flood event NSW SES has ever confronted.

Still on high alert

North Wagga resident Robyn Dawson only just moved her fridge back into her Hampden Avenue property last weekend. Three weeks ago, she also brought her washing machine back.

Most of Mrs Dawson's furniture and white goods are in a shipping container, safe from any possible floodwaters.

The rest of her belongings she has stored in boxes upstairs, and her food, kitchen appliances and utensils sit on the benches, not in cupboards and drawers.

"I don't have any wardrobes, I don't have any display units, I don't have a couch because I still think there could be the possibility that we could get wet," Mrs Dawson said.

"[I won't unpack] until at least the end of January, when I know we're completely safe."

Like many North Wagga residents, this is not the first flood Mrs Dawson has been through. She was among those evacuated in 2010, cleaned up the mess in the aftermath of the 2012 floods, and packed everything up again in 2016.

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She said the entire community had been on "high alert" well before the year's first flood in August.

"Stress levels have been at about 100 per cent, and that's been over the last 18 months," she said.

"I reckon we've dodged maybe five or six bullets in the last six months."

'Signifcant damage'

The Murrumbidgee River in Wagga peaked at 8.74 metres on August 9. On October 13, it reached the major flood level of 9.22 metres.

On November 4, the river peaked at 9.72 metres, the highest level in 10 years.

The flood level was high enough to inundate many low-lying properties, forcing farmers to move livestock to higher ground. North Wagga was evacuated, and residents on properties in places like Gumly Gumly were were warned to prepare to be isolated.

Infrastructure near the river, and many of the city's roads were also damaged by the persistent flooding, and SES public information officer Lachlan Gilchrist said these areas were the main focus for emergency crews.

"Pretty much across all major river systems we've seen significant damage to properties in around around those systems," he said.

"As the water has receded a lot of that critical road infrastructure is actually making road conditions very unsafe for motorists, so that's certainly an ongoing concern."

Eunony Bridge Road, Boorooma Street, and Mundowy Lane were among the dozens of roads inundated by floodwaters. In the November flood, sections of Sturt Highway through Wagga were also closed.

Working together

For Wagga City Council Mayor Dallas Tout, early and regular communication was key to keeping the community informed about what was happening.

"The community and the agencies all worked together, we were all in it together," he said.

"Early and regular communication helped mitigate some of the concerns - and we updated the information as fast as humanely possible."

For many communities across NSW, the threat of floods is still not gone. Mr Gilchrist said communities like Hillston and Balranald are still areas of concern.

"In situations where the floodwaters are dissipating, it's still quite close to the levee banks, that's still a key area of focus," he said.

"We're now in month five of operations and assisting the community, and while we're starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, there's still an enormous amount of work to do."

Now, Ms Dawson can do is wait for the danger to pass.

"We've all got our fingers crossed," she said.

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