Thread: Sydney Floods !

Hi Guys,

I've just seen the TV news broadcast showing and describing the flooding in and around Sydney. There was film of a house floating down the river and a police car taking a swim.

Very bad news ! I do hope that all forum members are safe. I feel for you people.

And just to show you how bizarre things are weatherwise, while east coast Oz is being deluged on the west coast we have had about a week of temperature highs of between 37 and 39ºC - this is normal for summer but we're now supposed to be in late autumn. Thank goodness we are now set for a week of daytime highs of between 25 and 32!

There’s a lot of water coming down. I’m lucky to be on a back tributary of the Hawkesbury, we haven’t seen the big level rises like upstream (14 metres above normal) but I’ve had thousands of gallons come off the hill behind me and under the house and through the workshop. And now a few tonnes of clay has fallen into the new area I’ve been extending so I’ve got a few days of work ahead shoveling it out.

Baron J
Its not just Sydney either. A lot up the north coast of NSW as well.
peter

A bit wet here in S E Queensland as well.

Hi Guys,

Thank you for the reports ! The news broadcast only concentrated on Sydney. No mention about how widespread the flooding was. There was a few pictures from a helicopter as well as some pictures from a drone. The helicopter was evacuating some people from what looked like a bridge.

We have had flooding not to far away in the past, but nothing like that shown on TV. We've had the rare occasion where the water has got to about a quarter of a mile away from us. The middle of York regularly floods due to the river and where the land has sunk, but that rarely gets more than a couple of metres.

I hope everyone stays safe !

Best story so far for me is the cow that got swept into the river upstream from Taree and was found a couple of days later walking along the surf beach at Old Bar. A distance of around 40 miles, that’s resilience.

Originally Posted by riverbuilder

There’s a lot of water coming down. I’m lucky to be on a back tributary of the Hawkesbury, we haven’t seen the big level rises like upstream (14 metres above normal) but I’ve had thousands of gallons come off the hill behind me and under the house and through the workshop. And now a few tonnes of clay has fallen into the new area I’ve been extending so I’ve got a few days of work ahead shoveling it out.

North Richmond river height is still at 13.3 metres at 15.30 today Tuesday.

Both supermarkets stripped bare by panic buyers once again.

I drove out to work today, the air base, the water is up from Monday. It will be interesting if they keep letting water out from Warragamba Dam how much more the flood water level will rise downstream?

Ben.

Originally Posted by BaronJ

Hi Guys,

Thank you for the reports ! The news broadcast only concentrated on Sydney. No mention about how widespread the flooding was.

It is not very widespread across the country and in fact is only affecting a tiny percentage of the landmass, but it has affected a lot of people, so got a large amount of media attention. Here is a map of the weekly rainfall The pink and purple dots are where the flooding may be happening. We are pretty much still in drought where I am, Currently green at the moment but it will not last long.

capture-25.jpg

Been away from Port Stephens for 10 days now, have been told over 450mm of rain there so far. Have not had much in Bendigo.

JohnQ

Originally Posted by .RC.

It is not very widespread across the country and in fact is only affecting a tiny percentage of the landmass, but it has affected a lot of people, so got a large amount of media attention. Here is a map of the weekly rainfall The pink and purple dots are where the flooding may be happening. We are pretty much still in drought where I am, Currently green at the moment but it will not last long.

capture-25.jpg

I am in a white area.

Originally Posted by .RC.

It is not very widespread across the country and in fact is only affecting a tiny percentage of the landmass, but it has affected a lot of people, so got a large amount of media attention. Here is a map of the weekly rainfall The pink and purple dots are where the flooding may be happening. We are pretty much still in drought where I am, Currently green at the moment but it will not last long.

capture-25.jpg

Could you provide a link to that site? It's pretty cool.

IRT the population affected, I do get a bit cynical when I drive out to Richmond or Penrith and see the 200,000 odd houses that respective government's have approved and built in western Sydney, acknowledged as one off if not the worst flood zone in all of Australia. And they want to build hundred's of thousands of more houses out here.

I also get cynical every time I pass a small electrical substation next to Windsor Rd (I think it is or could be a telecommunications station) that was build last year at McGraths Hill on a 4 metre high platform.

Ben.

For those who know the Hawkesbury area, here is a photo looking over McGrath's Hill towards Windsor during the 1961 flood. Photo from Vic Gillespie's collection.

That one was quite a bit larger than this flood. When we get one that size again it will really take newbies to the area by surprise. Back then the politicians told the residents that the newly completed Warragamba dam would reduce flooding in the Hawkesbury. That one was the worst flood since 1867.

Arrived home mid afternoon, all seems to be ok.

JohnQ