Macleay Valley Flood Update #4

Published on 08 July 2022

Update as of 7.45am Friday 8 July 2022

KEY CHANGES

- The Bureau of Meteorology issued Minor Flood Warning for the Macleay River at 9.03am Thursday Flood Warning - Macleay River (bom.gov.au)

- All bridges that cross the Macleay River upstream of Kempsey are CLOSED.

- Minor Flooding is no longer occurring at Georges Creek.

- As the minor flood peak experienced at Georges Creek progresses downstream, minor renewed rises are being seen however the Macleay River is expected to remain below the minor flood level at Bellbrook, Kempsey and Smithtown.

FLOOD WARNING

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a final Flood Warning #4 for the Macleay River at 5.17am on Friday 8 July 2022.

The warning states:

MINOR FLOODING NO LONGER OCCURRING AT GEORGES CREEK

"River levels along the Macleay River at Georges Creek have fallen below the minor flood level.

"River levels at Bellbrook, Kempsey and Smithtown are expected to remain below the minor flood levels."

For up-to-date warnings head to Flood Warning - Macleay River (www.bom.gov.au/nsw/warnings) 

STUARTS POINT

Council has been pumping groundwater in Stuarts Point since Wednesday afternoon 6 July 2022.

Groundwater levels have risen dramatically and water sampling and testing is underway.

The Stuarts Point pumping has been highly successful in combatting the intense rainfall received throughout the afternoon and into the evening.

Fire and Rescue Trucks assisted the pumping efforts during the heaviest rainfall on Wednesday evening, they have now departed but remain on standby.

Five Council pumps remain installed and pumping operations will continue overnight into Thursday.

The pumping effort has dramatically reduced the impact of the intense rainfall.

Environmental Health Officers are inspecting the impacts of the recent rainfall and are working with the community to address any concerns.

For more info, head to Stuarts Point groundwater update

RIVER LEVELS AND TRENDS

Below are levels and trends of the Macleay River:

- Georges Creek – 6.18m at 4.00pm - FALLING to 4.68m at 7.00am
- Bellbrook – 5.71m at 4.03pm - FALLING to 4.40m at 7.13am
- Toorooka – 5.68m at 4.15pm - FALLING to 5.25m at 7.00am
- Turners Flat – 4.72m at 4.00pm - RISING to 5.32m at 7.00am *Please note however the current trend is FALLING.
- Sherwood Bridge – 3.98m at 4.00pm - RISING to 4.78m at 7.15am *Please note however the current trend is FALLING.
- Kempsey Traffic Bridge – 3.43m at 4.11pm - RISING to 3.69m at 6.50am
- Smithtown – 2.46m at 3.45pm – STEADY at 2.45m at 6.30am 

Residents can monitor river levels on the Bureau of Meteorology's website (www.bom.gov.au) and act accordingly.

DRIVING CONDITIONS

Please do not take unnecessary risks and do not drive through floodwaters.

If you are in a known flood-prone area, we encourage you to note the current conditions and decide if you should implement your flood plan.

Roads, bridges and drainage infrastructure could be damaged 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

All bridges that cross the Macleay River upstream of Kempsey are now CLOSED.

- Bellbrook Bridge is CLOSED

- Toorooka Bridge is CLOSED

- Temagog Bridge is CLOSED

- Turners Flat Bridge is CLOSED

- Sherwood Bridge is CLOSED

- Dungay Creek Causeway is CLOSED

- Dowlings Falls Causeway is CLOSED

Please do not cross any bridges that have water across the deck. There may be hidden dangers.

CLOSED ROADS

Please drive to conditions and proceed with caution. Do not drive through flood waters.

Roads that are not officially closed may still be impassable but not inspected by staff as there is a high demand.

At present the following roads have been marked as impacted:

- Old Aerodrome Road, Aldavilla is CLOSED

- Gladstone Street Underpass is CLOSED

- Wide Street Kempsey is OPEN

- Queen Street Causeway is CLOSED 

- Euroka Road at Theresa Street is CLOSED

- Collombatti Roadat the Tea Tree Farm is CLOSED

- The Armidale – Kempsey Road within the Armidale Regional Council Area is open to local residents for essential travel and emergency services only.

- Second Lane is CLOSED

- Maria River Road is CLOSED

Water may rise rapidly in some locations and lead to further road closures, please do not drive through flood waters.

FLOODGATES

Council closed all floodgates on Wednesday 6 July 2022.

- The floodgates on Kinchela Creek, Belmore River, Christmas Creek and Euroka Creek are CLOSED

- Flood relief gates at Kinchela Creek and Belmore River are CLOSED. 

Staff have inspected Big Hill and Ryans Cut ocean outlets and reported that water levels are not sufficient to permit opening.  

SEWER

- In heavy or sustained rain events it is not uncommon to experience sewer overflows in our sewer catchment areas. These are often not preventable, as sewerage systems are not designed to transport stormwater in these events.
- Our teams continue to monitor the situation and conduct sampling, reporting and clean-up in these areas.

FLOOD CAMERAS

The most recent images from flood cameras on the Macleay River are available at ksc.pub/floodcameras (Kempsey Traffic Bridge now working again)

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.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

Council urges you to:

- Be cautious on the roads and DO NOT attempt to drive through floodwaters 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 flooding, 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 SERVICES AFFECTED

Flood events can affect a number of Council services including sports fields, waste centres and libraries. 

If there are any services impacted, we will provide a list on our website.

COUNCIL CREWS MONITORING THE REGION

Council's work teams are inspecting roads and areas of concern and we will advise you of developments in future updates.

Council staff are currently stretched and flood damage could be present in several locations. If you need to travel please exercise caution.

Council welcomes advice from residents in outlying areas. You can report concerns to Council on 6566 3200 but 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 13 25 00. 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 radio, 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 13 27 01 

NEXT UPDATE

We will post updates to our website and Facebook page as information becomes available.

This is the final formal flood update