Macleay Valley Flood Update #6 - FINAL UPDATE
Published on 24 September 2022
MACLEAY VALLEY FLOOD UPDATE #6
UPDATED: 5pm Saturday 24 September 2022
KEY CHANGES
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a Final Flood Warning for the Macleay River at Kempsey - Flood Warning - Macleay River (bom.gov.au)
Flooding is no longer expected
The Macleay River Peaked below the Minor Flood Level on Saturday morning at Kempsey and River levels at Georges Creek and Bellbrook are also below the Minor Flood Levels.
NSW SES has released a Return with Caution for the Lower Macleay ending the Evacuation Warning.
Flood relief gates on Belmore and Kinchela Creek will stay CLOSED.
Council staff remain at Stuarts Point, however no further impacts are expected.
Bridges that cross the Macleay River upstream of Kempsey are CLOSED.
Turners Flat Bridge is expected to OPEN on Saturday evening.
FLOOD WARNING
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued Final Flood Warning #10 for the Macleay River at 11.28am.
The warning states:
MINOR FLOODING NO LONGER EXPECTED AT KEMPSEY
No further flooding is expected in the Macleay River.
The Macleay River at Kempsey (AHD) peaked at around 4.32 metres during Saturday morning, below the minor flood level. The Macleay River at Kempsey (AHD) is expected to remain below the minor flood level (4.50 m) during Saturday.
For up-to-date warnings head to Flood Warning - Macleay River (bom.gov.au)
RIVER LEVELS
Georges Creek – 4.61m at 7.00am – FALLING to 4.26m at 4.00pm
Bellbrook – 4.09m at 8.05am – FALLING to 3.25m at 4.00pm
Toorooka – 5.45m at 8.01am – FALLING to 4.52m at 4.01pm
Turners Flat – 5.64m at 8.00am – FALLING to 4.67m at 4.00pm
Sherwood Bridge – 5.28m at 8.12am – FALLING to 4.29m at 3.52pm
Kempsey Traffic Bridge – 34.32m at 7.49am – FALLING to 3.88m at 4.10pm
Smithtown – 2.92m at 7.45am - STEADY to 2.88m at 3.45pm
Residents are advised to monitor the river levels via the Bureau of Meteorology website and act accordingly.
DRIVING CONDITIONS
Please do not take unnecessary risks and do not drive through flood waters.
If you are in a known flood-prone area, we encourage you to take note of the current conditions and assess if you should implement your flood plan.
Flood damage to road, bridge and drainage infrastructure could be present in several locations, if you are travelling exercise great caution.
Check with RMS www.livetraffic.com or 132 701 for more road status information.
RIVER CROSSINGS
The closure of the following river crossings is expected on Friday or Saturday.
Bellbrook Bridge is CLOSED
Temagog Bridge is CLOSED
Toorooka Bridge is CLOSED
Turners Flat Bridge is CLOSED - Expected to open Saturday evening.
Sherwood Bridge is CLOSED
Dungay Creek and Dowling's Falls Causeways are CLOSED
ROADS
Queen Street Causeway is OPEN
Willi Willi Road at Silvermine Bridge is CLOSED for a planned replacement
Please take care and never drive through flood water.
FLOODGATES
Council CLOSED flood structures on Thursday 22 September 2022.
Floodgates on Kinchela Creek, Belmore River, Christmas Creek and Euroka Creek are CLOSED
Flood relief gates at Kinchela Creek and Belmore River are CLOSED
Water levels at the Ryans Cut and Big Hill outlets have been inspected by staff and are not high enough to be opened. This will be monitored.
Please note, as a result of the the expected river level peak is now 4.50m at Kempsey on Saturday morning, the flood relief will remain CLOSED.
Landholders should monitor the situation closely and act appropriately.
STUARTS POINT
Active pumping commenced during the evening on Thursday 22 September at Stuarts Point due to the heavy localised rainfall and concern from the community.
Fire and Rescue Trucks and members of NSW SES assisted the community by providing sandbags and monitoring the situation during the period of highest concern.
Council pumps remain installed and continue to operate as required. Groundwater levels have risen, crews will remain on site to monitor the situation.
FLOOD CAMERAS
The most recent images from flood cameras on the Macleay River are available at https://www.kempsey.nsw.gov.au/Your-Valley/Disaster-emergency/Flood-information-cameras
The flood monitoring camera at Sherwood Bridge, west of Kempsey, is focused on the bridge deck so residents can see if the bridge is being affected by flooding.
Images are updated every 30 minutes. Please note the time stamp is set to Australian Eastern Standard Time NOT to Australian Eastern Daylight Saving Time.
KEMPSEY TRAFFIC BRIDGE RIVER LEVEL GAUGE
There is a fault with the Kempsey Traffic Bridge River Level Gauge that is preventing the data appearing on the BOM website.
A second gauge is functioning well via internal systems which we hope will soon inform the BOM website.
Regardless of the information appearing on the BOM website please be assured we have the information and are sharing it and monitoring it closely.
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?
Council urges people to:
- Remain cautious on the roads for localised impacts, DO NOT attempt to drive through flood waters or cross flooded bridges.
- Consider the impact of possible road closures and flood isolation on work, family and educational commitments
- Monitor emergency warnings and severe weather updates
- If your property is at risk of inundation, please raise moveable items, such as furniture, as high as possible onto benches or tables, placing electrical items on top
- If you live in a low-lying area and are advised by an emergency services officer to evacuate, please do so
- Secure outside belongings and before leaving, turn off the power and water and take pets, essential medicines and clothes with you
COUNCIL CREWS MONITORING THE REGION
Council's work teams are inspecting roads and areas of concern and we will advise of developments in future updates.
Council welcomes advice from residents in outlying areas regarding any concerns which may be reported to Council on 6566 3200 however our Customer Service Centre is currently experiencing a high volume of calls so please check that your concerns have not already been addressed online.
For emergency help in floods and storms, call the NSW State Emergency Service on 132 500. In life-threatening situations call triple zero (000) immediately.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
- Check Council's automatic Disaster Dashboard at ksc.pub/disasterdashboard
- Listen to local ABC, the emergency broadcaster, on 95.5 FM or 684 AM
- Follow NSW SES on Facebook or www.ses.nsw.gov.au
- Latest Weather, Warnings, Rainfall and River heights: www.bom.gov.au/nsw
- Road Closures and traffic info: RMS www.livetraffic.com or 132 701
NEXT UPDATE
There will be no further formal updates. Road, bridge and flood Infrastructure updates will be provided as required.