Thousands forced to flee NSW floods~Updated March 11

Source: yahoo!7.com.au/news
Wagga Wagga avoids major flooding
AAP Updated March 6, 2012, 10:15 pm

Thousands of Wagga Wagga homes and businesses are safe from the threat of a rising Murrumbidgee River, as NSW State Emergency Services (SES) prepare for the floodwaters' next victims - towns downstream.
Water levels of the Murrumbidgee River peaked at 10.56 metres at 4pm (AEDT) on Tuesday and began falling.
The peak levels were just below those of the 1974 floods.
The Bureau of Meteorology initially predicted the peak would reach 10.90 metres.
About 9000 residents were evacuated as the rising levels threatened to flood the city, with Premier Barry O'Farrell declaring the area a state of emergency on Tuesday.
NSW SES said central Wagga Wagga was not under any immediate threat of the river breaching its levee on Tuesday night, but residents would not be able to return home until at least Wednesday when the SES had declared the area all clear.
"It is a matter of safety at the moment," Rolf Poole from NSW SES told AAP.
"We're not going to allow people back into Wagga Wagga at this stage."
Prime Minister Julia Gillard will visit the flood-ravaged city on Wednesday to survey the damage firsthand.
More than 650 residents in areas surrounding Wagga Wagga were allowed to return to their homes on Tuesday, as the SES declared the areas of Lockhart, The Rock and Uranquinty "all clear".
The SES says the focus is now turning to the next towns to be hit by the floodwaters.
Floods are expected to hit Forbes on Thursday with water levels predicted to peak at 10.65 metres, dividing the town in three.
Narrandera, south of Griffith, will also be inundated on Thursday, with levels expected to reach 8.8 metres.
"Those communities also need to continue their preparation," Mr Poole said.
On Tuesday, Minister for Police and Emergency Services Michael Gallacher had declared nine NSW local government areas natural disasters.
The declaration allows residents in the areas access to additional flood recovery assistance.
Young, Upper Lachlan, Boorowa, Weddin, Coolamon, Corowa, Gundagai, Snowy River and Cooma-Monaro Councils are on the natural disaster declarations list, which is expected to increase.
"We are also expecting to declare more local government areas by the end of the day," Mr Gallacher said in a statement.
Across the state about 15,000 people have been ordered from their homes because of flooding, predominantly in the Riverina area, Griffith and Wagga Wagga.
The bureau has issued a severe weather warning for the Sydney metropolitan, South Coast, Illawarra and Hunter regions for Wednesday afternoon and evening.
It forecasts heavy rain, with possible thunder, that may lead to flash flooding in those areas.

Source: yahoo!7.com.au/news
Storm damage around Sydney
AAP March 8, 2012, 1:20 am
Severe weather has caused storm damage and falling trees around Sydney and parts of the NSW coast, with more damage predicted overnight.
The State Emergency Service (SES) had received about 90 calls for assistance across the state by midnight, with 38 of those in the Sydney metropolitan area.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for the Sydney metropolitan, south coast, Illawarra and Hunter regions.
The SES says more calls are predicted overnight and additional crews have been sent to affected areas.
"The majority of the callouts have been for trees down," a spokesperson for the SES told AAP.
Strong winds are causing many of the falling trees, with reports of 50 kilometre wind gusts through the Sydney metropolitan and 80 kilometre winds in the Illawarra.
"There are going to be a lot of trees down overnight, due to wet soil from the rains we've been having," the spokesperson said.
The SES says the south coast has been hardest hit, with 40 call outs to the region and 18 to Nowra.
Lake Conjola, near the south coastal town of Ulladulla, has recorded 91 millimetres of rain since 9am (AEDT) Wednesday morning, with almost 50 millimetres falling in one hour.
The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting heavy rain that may lead to flash flooding in Sydney, Gosford, Wyong, Wollongong and Batemans Bay.
The SES says hot spots for flash flooding in Sydney are around the suburbs of Randwick and Zetland, but that no flood rescues have been executed.
Most of the SES call outs in the Sydney metropolitan area have been in suburbs of Randwick, Waverley and Woollahra and around the Sutherland area.

Source: yahoo!7.com.au/news
Prepare to evacuate: Sydney on flood alert
AAPUpdated March 9, 2012, 6:56 am
Residents in parts of Sydney's northwest have been told to prepare for evacuation as the Hawkesbury River floods.
The State Emergency Service (SES) issued evacuation warnings for people in Richmond Lowlands, Pitt Town and Gronos Point at 6.30am (AEDT) on Friday.
Several caravan parks on the banks of the Hawkesbury River, between Windsor and Sackville, were also put on high alert.
"We are asking those people to start preparing themselves now for possible evacuations throughout the day," SES spokesman Erin Pogmore said.
Communities in southwest Sydney have also been put on high alert, although no evacuation warnings were issued.
The Nepean River at Menangle was expected to flood at 6am (AEDT) as spills from the Warragamba Dam filter downstream.
The same spills are expected to cause flooding at Penrith, in the city's west.
The Yarramundi Bridge at Richmond was closed at 4am (AEDT) and the Sackville Ferry, which crosses the Hawkesbury River at Sackville, was closed at 1am (AEDT).
"Further ferry closures are likely as the river levels rise towards the predicted levels," the SES said in a statement.
Meanwhile, thousands of people remain homeless in NSW's southwest and central west as the flood crisis continues.
More than 1000 people are in evacuation centres at Griffith, in southwest NSW, with the Murrumbidgee River due to peak again on Friday.
The Bureau of Meteorology has warned of major flooding in Narrandera, southeast of Griffith and the neighbouring communities of Darlington Point, Carathool and Hay.
Flooding was also expected in Forbes and Bega on Friday, with hundreds of residents in both communities already evacuated.
The Salvation Army praised the community support for flood victims across the state.
The organisation has staff at many of NSW's evacuation centres and in Wagga Wagga alone, where 600 people have sought shelter, it served more than 2500 meals in three days.
"We had people constantly dropping off food, blankets and pillows for people in the evacuation centres," Lieutenant Tammy Shelley said in a statement.

Serious rain.

Hey Syd, is this close to you, and has it had any impact on you?

Like I am offline, within minutes. Have to go to higher ground. Hopefully, back later on.

Whoa!!! Godspeed, man.

Be safe Syd

Latest pics: Yes, I'm safe, and ty for all your kind thoughts.

Have to go to higher ground. Hopefully, back later on.

Source: yahoo!7.com.au/news
Towns on alert despite flood crisis easing
ABCUpdated March 11, 2012, 4:19 am
Authorities have warned several towns to remain on alert despite the flood crisis easing across much of New South Wales and Victoria.
The State Emergency Service (SES) evacuated the southern New South Wales town of Darlington Point on Saturday because of fears the rising Murrumbidgee River would threaten the town's levee.
About 1,000 Darlington residents spent the night away from their homes as they braced for the river to peak overnight.
The Bureau of Meteorology says the river has only risen slightly since late Saturday afternoon, but Dave Owen from the SES says crews are still closely monitoring it.
"The situation at Darlington Point is that the river is expected to peak later tonight (Saturday), closer towards midnight," he said.
"There is still an evacuation order in place there and we will be monitoring the river as it reaches it's peak which is seven-point-seven metres."
The SES has also evacuated the village of Morundah.
Elsewhere, many residents are returning to their properties to begin the massive clean-up task and councils are assessing the damage to roads and infrastructure.
In Wagga Wagga in the state's Riverina about 70 Defence Force personnel are assisting with the effort, bringing with them heavy duty machinery to shift the widespread debris.
Conditions are easing at Narrandera, west of Wagga Wagga, although some nearby low-lying suburbs remain flooded.
Evacuation orders are still current for parts of Yenda, North Wagga, Gillenbah, Forbes, Urana and Gumly Gumly.
Sandbagging accident
Earlier on Saturday a boy was rescued after being trapped by sand being used to fill sandbags in Condobolin, in the state's central west.
Police say the seven-year-old was playing at a sandbagging site when a mound of sand collapsed on him.
Witnesses dug the boy out and he was not injured.
Police urged parents to take extra care of children in flood-affected areas, especially around large amounts of sand.
Also on Saturday north of Bourke.
The body of the 83-year-old man, who is understood to have been a farm worker, was found about 20 metres away from his partially submerged vehicle.
Police believe the man was swept away when he left his ute to get help.
Floodwaters are receding in much of New South Wales, revealing the extent of the destruction they have wrought.
Three quarters of the state has been affected, and almost 2,000 homes inundated. The Government has declared a total of 46 natural disaster zones.
The State Government has called for a Queensland-style levy to help the recovery efforts, but Prime Minister Julia Gillard has ruled out the prospect at this point.
Victoria
Further south, floodwaters continue to surround the northern Victorian town of Nathalia, while record floods have inundated 30 other towns across the state's north-east.
The evacuation order for Nathalia has been extended for another 48 hours.
Authorities cannot guarantee the integrity of a leaking levee system which is protecting more than 170 homes.
A no wake zone has been introduced for boats and a 15-metre exclusion zone is being enforced to discourage onlookers.
The SES's Michael Morely says that while waters are receding, they will stay high until at least Wednesday.
"The levee bank system has been saturated now for some time and as has been the case for a couple of days we're finding that we're still encountering leaks and seepages," he said.
"The people on site are concentrating on dealing with those seepages as they arrive and hitting them with sandbags or whatever is necessary."
Concern is now held for low-lying communities north and west of Nathalia, and south and east of Picolha.