Flood-hit parts of northern NSW told to brace

Flood-hit parts of northern NSW told to brace for more rain

Parts of northern NSW devastated by floods just weeks ago have been warned of more storms and rain which could see flash flooding hit are on the way.

The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast widespread rain across northeast NSW including the Northern Rivers and Mid North Coast, from tomorrow.

The wet weather may extend further south as the week goes on.

Severe flooding hits Lismore in northern NSW in the worst flood ever recorded on Monday February 28 2022. Photo: Elise Derwin / SMH. — Severe flooding hits Lismore in northern NSW in the worst flood ever recorded. (Elise Derwin)

A man and his dog are rescued from a roof in Lismore, NSW. (Elise Derwin)

Rain falls of of 10-40mm a day are likely, but up to 50-150mm is possible.

Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke said the land around Northern Rivers remains “saturated.”

“I understand you have been through a hell of a lot already, the next few days are going to be particularly challenging,” she said.

A total of 22 people died in the floods in south-east Queensland, northern New South Wales and the Sydney area at the end of last month and early this month.

More than 20,000 homes and businesses were flooded in Queensland, and more than 5,000 homes were damaged in NSW.

More than 3,600 homes in the NSW northern rivers region were deemed uninhabitable.

The New South Wales State Emergency Service addressed claims they twice “rejected” offers of help from the army.

Gloria Grande lost her home in Coraki in northern NSW in the recent flood, where she has lived for 60 years. She is now planning to rebuild and hoping insurance will cover the costs on Friday March 11 2022. Photo: Elise Derwin / SMH — Clean up after floods in northern NSW. (Elise Derwin)

Acting Premier Paul Toole said the news would be “tough” for those communities.

“There are many people that aren’t going to welcome the news that we are going to be talking about,” he said.

“But I want them to know that we will stand side by side with them once this weather event has gone through.

A cow found on a bridge in Lismore, NSW. (Elise Derwin)

“It’s going to take years, and we are going to stand side by side with those communities as they rebuild.”

NSW SES Assistant Commissioner Nicole Hogan warned of flash flooding and landslips.

“Our catchments are very wet, and our dams are full, so it will not take a lot for floods to occur,” Ms Hogan said.

“We need people to be mindful of their flood risks and be prepared.”

Lismore NSW floods — People had to be rescued in Lismore, NSW. (9News)

“In some areas floods may be different than previous or expected flooding due to the impact of recent events. People need to monitor the weather conditions closely and be prepared to act early.”

Over the last few days, some places in the Northern Rivers have already seen up to 100-200mm of rain.

BoM’s Jane Golding said most of that rainfall fell in just a few hours.