Flood-weary New South Wales towns face huge clean up
An aerial view of flood waters impacting the town of Forbes, NSW. Photo: AAP
Hundreds of flood-hit homes and businesses in Forbes will be assessed for damage as the focus extends to other downstream towns in central western New South Wales.
About 102 flood warnings were in place across the state on Monday, including six evacuation orders around the city of Forbes.
There, the Lachlan River peaked about midday on Saturday at 10.67 metres – slightly below the 10.8 metre record set in 1952.
Some 48 hours on, major flooding was continuing as the State Emergency Service planned to begin rapid damage assessments of homes in the city’s north and east.
An earlier aerial assessment had indicated “hundreds” of homes and businesses had been impacted by flooding, the SES said.
It’s unclear how long it will be until the 1000 people advised to evacuate can begin returning to their homes.
The flood peak will reach Jemalong by Monday night while, Condobolin, a town of around 3500 people already experiencing major flooding, could be faced with river levels exceeding records set in 1952.
Meanwhile, a search for two men in Prestons Creek in the Southern Tablelands has ended with the discovery of the second man’s body.
Police recovered the first body on Thursday, three days after the pair were flung out of a ute tray as the vehicle crossed a flooded causeway.
The SES has issued return-with-caution notices to those told to evacuate in North Wagga as the clean-up there continues after the Murrumbidgee River peaked on Friday at its highest level in a decade.
Downstream, the town of Hay is preparing for major flooding to increase from mid-November as the peak moves west of Wagga.
Meanwhile, gas supply has resumed in Bathurst after flooding of the Macquarie River damaged a gas pipeline to 20,000 people’s homes
Those in nearby Lithgow, Oberon and Wallerawang will begin receiving trucked-in LNG from Friday, with a temporary pipe to be in place early next week, supplier APA said.
Deputy Premier Paul Toole said on Sunday that APA Group – the owner of the gas pipeline – was working on solutions to restore gas supply as quickly as possible.
