Thousands in Sydney’s west have been forced out of their homes overnight and eight flood evacuation orders have been issued for the NSW mid-north coast as wild weather and torrential rain continues to lash much of the state’s east.
Communities along the Hawkesbury River in NSW are bracing for once-in-a-generation flooding that could displace thousands of residents and disrupt utilities for months.
The BOM expects Monday to bring the worst flooding event to the area northwest of Sydney since November 1961 – 60 years ago.
Floodwaters are expected to rise to major levels on Monday morning and inundate places such as Windsor, Pitt Town, North Richmond, Freemans Reach and Colo.
The Hawkesbury is predicted to reach peaks of up to 15 metres and the SES says homes and properties will be flooded, some up to roof height.
There were 1,500 urgent calls for help overnight and almost 200 schools across the state will be closed on Monday.
Houses are threatened by flood waters in Penrith on Monday after the Nepean River burst its banks following a weekend of wild weather
A woman wears a wet weather jacket as she braces the wild weather in Penrith, western Sydney, for a Monday morning run
Residents watch from the Yandhai Nepean Crossing as the Nepean River overflows in Penrith on Sunday
A car is seen submerged in rainwater as torrential rain continues to lash much of the state’s east
The Nepean river in Penrith is seen after bursting its banks, peaking at 10 metres overnight on March 22
A new aerial image shows floodwaters on Monday morning. The Pacific Highway remains closed in both directions between Glenthorne and Coopernook due to flooding
Residents in Kempsey were told by the State Emergency Service to evacuate by midnight on Sunday with major flooding possible along the Macleay River at Kempsey and Smithtown Monday morning.
Evacuation orders are now in place for low lying areas of Kempsey, Macksville, Port Macquarie, the lower Macleay, Wauchope and Rawdon Island, Taree and Wingham.
People are being asked to more possessions above the predicted flood height, take pets, essential items, warm clothes, medicines, insurance documents and valuables with them and stay with family or friends, or head to evacuation centres.
Kempsey recorded 173 mm of rain between 9am Sunday to 4am on Monday, and it’s not letting up.
Heavy rain is likely to lead to flash flooding and will remain a serious risk for the Northern Rivers and Mid-North Coast on Monday and Tuesday, The Bureau of Meteorology warned.
Risks remain for the Hunter and Central Tablelands districts, particularly as catchments are already saturated.
Overnight, emergency workers conducted 150 more flood rescues and responded to 1,500 calls for help, taking the total so far for the weekend so far to more than 10,000.
A woman takes a photo on Monday morning after the Nepean River in Sydney’s western suburbs burst its banks
Flood damage is seen on the road in Penrith, western Sydney, after a weekend of wild weather
Several western suburbs in the Hawkesbury-Nepean valley have been forced to evacuate as river levels and floodwaters continue to rise
Hundreds of Penrith residents spent the night in evacuation centres or alternative accommodation after their homes came under threat from floodwater. Pictured are residents wading through a submerged Ladbury Ave in Penrith
A Bureau of Meteorology map shows the areas of New South Wales advised to brace for heavy rainfall on Monday
Streets and front yards of home were completely submerged by floodwater on the corner of Ladbury Ave in Penrith on Sunday
There are 20 evacuation orders in place running from the Mid-North Coast down to the Illawarra, including Sydney and western Sydney, with more expected to be declared on Monday.
Emergency Services Minister David Elliott said the NSW government was expected to be able to confirm later on Monday the Australian Defence Force would move in to support the SES.
‘That will include logistics, obviously, assistance with making sure we make safe our communities,’ he told Nine.
Mr Elliott said the most critical area was the Mid-North Coast where communities were facing the worst flooding conditions since 1929.
Over NSW 200 schools will be closed on Monday but with the extreme wet weather continuing, decisions will be made hourly on further closures.
‘Safety has to come first,’ Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said Seven.
A baby is pictured with SES after they saved the the five-month-old infant, a child, four adults and three dogs in Londonderry
Rivers will hit their highest levels in 60 years on Monday morning with moderate to major flood warnings issued for the Hawkesbury, the Nepean (pictured), and the Colo, threatening homes in the suburbs of Penrith, North Richmond, Windsor, and Sackville
The floods will cut off evacuation routes and cause lasting outages to utilities, the SES said as it urged residents to prepare to evacuate.
‘Extensive outages of water, electricity, sewerage, telecommunications and gas are expected to last many weeks or months,’ the SES said.
Flooding along the Hawkesbury and Nepean rivers comes after the Warragamba Dam spilled over.
Parts of Penrith and other areas along the Nepean were ordered to evacuate on Sunday as NSW battles devastating floods after days of unabated rain.
Scores of people have already been rescued from floodwaters, while prison inmates have been evacuated and more than 100 schools remain shut.
The BOM’s Agata Imielska said the severity of rainfall in greater Sydney could ease on Monday but the Mid-North Coast would continue to be drenched and inland NSW would be pounded by rain.
The NSW northwest slopes and plains are forecast to receive four times more rain in two days than the entire March monthly average.
The federal government’s natural disaster arrangements have been activated for 18 local government areas across NSW.
Rapid Relief Team members are seen preparing sandbags in Penrith on Sunday, where the Nepean River rose to 10metres
Warragamba Dam (pictured on Sunday) has began overflowing at the rate of 450 gigalitres a day, which would almost fill most of Sydney Harbour
Thousands of families face losing their homes and many others spent a sleepless night in evacuation centres as a rain-soaked NSW prepares to be battered for another wave of torrential rain. Port Macquarie is pictured above
The one-in-one-hundred year storm has also forced spiders into people’s homes to escape rising floodwaters.
Melanie Williams watched on in horror as thousands of arachnids climbed onto her fence as waters continued to rise at her Macksville home, in northern NSW, on Saturday.
‘As the water was rising, the letterbox was going under further and further and I could see all these little black things on there and I thought ‘oh my God, they’re spiders,’ she said.
‘I occasionally see spiders around the place but never anything like that, it was just insane.’
Floodwaters in Sydney’s west will continue rising on Monday as Warragamba Dam, the city’s biggest, spills enough water to fill Sydney Harbour every 24 hours for a third day in a row, causing swollen rivers to burst their banks.
Those rivers will hit their highest levels in 60 years on Monday morning with moderate to major flood warnings issued for the Hawkesbury, the Nepean, and the Colo, threatening homes in the suburbs of Penrith, North Richmond, Windsor, and Sackville.
The wild weather is not forecast to stop until Wednesday around Sydney and on the mid-north coast, and not until Thursday on the north coast in Byron Bay and south-east Queensland.
Penrith residents were forced to evacuate on Sunday after the Nepean River rose to 10.05m on Sunday night, just below the major flood level – but higher than during the devastating 1961 floods.
The Nepean River at Menangle Bridge is at 7.28m and 7.73m at Wallacia Weir, with rises possible with forecast rainfall. Major flooding is also occurring around the Colo River in Upper Colo and Putty Road Bridge.
‘While major flooding is occurring in Sydney’s west it’s also important to be aware this is a large and widespread event,’ the weather bureau warned.
Melanie Williams watched on in horror as thousands of arachnids climbed onto her fence as waters continued to rise at her Macksville home, in northern NSW, on Saturday
A police car was inundated in floodwaters in Freemans Reach in Sydney’s north-west on Sunday
Many residents in Penrith were ordered to evacuate their homes on Sunday night as flood waters in the Nepean River continue to rise. Pictured is a flooded park near the Nepean River on Sunday
The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe weather warning for the Northern Rivers, Mid North Coast, Hunter, Upper Western and parts of Central Tablelands, North West Slopes and Plains and Central West Slopes and Plains Forecast Districts
With the damage bill already estimated to exceed $1 billion, much of NSW will cop a similar battering in the next two days with conditions described as dangerous and volatile. Taree Aquatic Club on the Mid North Coast is pictured above
With the damage bill already estimated to exceed $1billion, much of NSW will cop a similar battering in the next two days with conditions described as dangerous and volatile.
More than 1,500 residents across NSW were evacuated due to life-threatening floods on Sunday while a further 4,000 along the banks of the Nepean River were advised to prepare to leave.
The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe weather warning for the Northern Rivers, Mid North Coast, Hunter, Upper Western and parts of Central Tablelands, North West Slopes and Plains and Central West Slopes and Plains Forecast Districts.
Heavy rain will likely lead to flash flooding in the NSW Northern Rivers and mid north coast on Monday.
Affected areas may include Coffs Harbour, Kempsey, Port Macquarie, Taree, Newcastle, Gosford, Sydney, Katoomba, Wollongong, Tibooburra, Bourke, Cobar and Coonamble.
‘While major flooding is occurring in Sydney’s west it’s also important to be aware this is a large & widespread event. Western NSW will see increased rain from Monday & many areas will see more rain on Tuesday,’ the Bureau of Meteorology tweeted.
Incredible satellite images show the devastating caused by the floods. This shows the Manning River near Taree on the NSW mid-north coast before the storm
This floods spreading across the area as days of torrential rain cause rivers to burst their banks and destroy homes
Rivers on the north and mid-north coast that were once just thin lines on the map (pictured) were turned into thick raging torrents as the excess water spilled across the countryside
Water spreads across basins on either side of the Hastings River near Port Macquarie, covering several times more area than usual
State Premier Gladys Berejiklian held an emergency conference on Sunday to beg residents to play it safe and reiterate how ‘serious and severe this weather is’
Port Macquarie residents have been warned a ‘second wave’ of major flooding is on its way and say ‘we’re not out of the woods yet’.
Incredible satellite images have captured transformation widespread flooding has already caused in Port Macquarie and Taree as new alerts were issued for the Hastings and Manning Rivers on Sunday night.
Regions south of Sydney will also cop a drenching where Goulburn faces potential flooding as water spills continues to spill from Warragamba Dam and flows down the Nepean River.
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Jonathan How said ‘relentless rainfall’ will lash parts of Sydney and eastern NSW until at least Tuesday.
‘This is a dynamic situation, so check for flood warning updates regularly,’ he warned.
Rain is forecast to persist through Monday as a stubborn coastal trough lingers over NSW, and severe thunderstorms are also likely to hit northern inland NSW.
The two weather systems will ‘collide’ on Monday night, Mr How said, causing a likely ‘multi-state rain band’.
The NSW north coast is also bracing for more heavy rain just days after towns were cut off by floodwaters. This photo shows a flooded area following heavy rains in Port Macquarie
Sandbags are seen lining shops in Picton in Sydney. Evacuation warnings are in place for parts of Western Sydney as floodwaters continue to rise
Rising floodwaters in Sydney’s west and north-west are now higher than the catastrophic 1961 flood, with residents of parts of Penrith told to leave their homes by 9pm before floods are expected to peak early Monday.
Further evacuation warnings were issued for the western Sydney suburbs of Eastern Creek, Stonecutters Creek and Marsden Park, where residents were told to prepare to leave their homes by 3am.
Residents of parts of Wilberforce north of the Hawkesbury were told to be ready to evacuate by 9am on Monday.
The catastrophic November 1961 floods occurred soon after Warragamba Dam was built, where the Hawkesbury River reached around 14.5m above normal river height at Windsor.
But the largest flood since European settlement was in June 1867 where the river reached 19m above normal river height.
A severe weather remains in place for much of the NSW coast all the way up to Queensland for life-threatening flash-flooding with 137 schools closed and workers urged to stay home on Monday.
By 4.30pm on Sunday, floodwaters had started to inundate homes in Ladbury Avenue Penrith (pictured)
An abandoned umbrella lies at the flood intersection of Ladbury and Memorial Avenue in Penrith in Sydney’s west
A large crowd of residents gathered at the new Windsor Bridge on Sunday to keep a vigilant eye on the Hawkesbury River
Windsor residents in Sydney’s north-west braved the wet conditions to keep a close eye on the flooded Hawkesbury River
Late on Sunday afternoon, the NSW State Emergency Service declared western parts of Penrith as a high danger area where some properties have already been inundated with water.
Evacuees were urged to bring drinking water and food with them and relocate personal possessions to a safe place. The Nepean River is expected to peak around 10.4m at midnight on Monday.
Penrith Panthers NRL coach Ivan Cleary was among the residents forced to evacuate on Sunday night.
He has been living in a Ladbury Avenue home owned by his son, Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary while renovating his own home on Sydney’s northern beaches, the Daily Telegraph reported.
The Panthers’ preparation for Thursday night’s grand final rematch against Melbourne Storm was also thrown into chaos with their training grounds at the $22m Panthers Academy complex in Mulgoa under threat from flooding.
Inmates at the Emu Plains and nearby Amber Laurel Correctional Centres have also being evacuated, Corrective Services has confirmed.
Residents in western parts of Penrith were ordered to evacuate by SES volunteers on Sunday afternoon before flood levels rise. Pictured are residents in Ladbury Ave, Penrith.
The corner of Ladbury and Memorial Ave Penrith (pictured) is now underwater, forcing local residents to evacuate
The rain will persist on Monday while severe thunderstorms are forecast for northern inland NSW.
A tropical low over northern WA and a coastal trough off NSW are expected to collide on Monday night, sparking a ‘multi-state rain band’.
‘This could cause further river rises, so it’s important to stay vigilant as conditions can change quickly,’ Mr How said.
‘Rain and floods are not over yet!’
Of the 7,370 calls for help the NSW State Emergency Service has been inundated with since Thursday, 1940 have been logged since Saturday night.
The SES has also conducted 685 flood rescues since Thursday.
Rising flood waters opposite Governor Phillip Park in Windsor are so high they have almost covered a traffic sign
People look on as flood water rises over the New Windsor Bridge on The Hawkesbury River in Windsor
Low-lying areas of Windsor near the Hawkesbury River have been inundated with heavy rain in recent days
The new Windsor Bridge was inundated with with water and debris from the flooded Hawkesbury River on Sunday
In the far NSW north coast, the heavy rain and wild conditions didn’t dampen the spirits of surfers at Byron Bay
Heavy rainfall also arrived in Byron Bay on Sunday afternoon, washing away roads and wreaking havoc on the coastal town
Premier Gladys Berejiklian held an emergency conference on Sunday to beg residents to play it safe and reiterate how ‘serious and severe this weather is’.
She said the NSW mid-north coast, which was worst hit on Saturday and overnight, was enduring a once-in-a-century storm, while regions in western Sydney haven’t seen rainfall this severe in 50 years.
‘We were hoping it would only be a one in 20-year event. It looks like it will actually be a one in 50-year event,’ Ms Berejiklian said of conditions in the Hawkesbury Valley on Sunday.
On Sunday, the Department of Education announced 137 public schools would close on Monday due to localised flooding. Parents with children at Catholic or private schools will be notified separately if their campus had been impacted.
‘It’s the sustained rainfall, the fact that weather event has settled in, it’s not moving,’ she said.
‘We cannot underestimate the ferocity of these weather conditions. We have gone from extreme bushfire to extreme flood.’
Employees were encouraged to work from home in an attempt to curb any unnecessary road travel and avoid an ‘inevitable fatality’.
The federal and state governments on Sunday morning announced 16 national disaster declarations from Coffs Harbour and Grafton areas in northern NSW into the west to Cessnock and Dungog, and to the Central Coast.
The regions include Bellingen, Clarence Valley, Kempsey, Lake Macquarie City, Nambucca Valley, Port Macquarie-Hastings and Tenterfield.
Relief funding can now start to be funnelled into local council areas for recovery efforts from the catastrophic rainfall.
Queensland, South Australia and Victoria have all deployed resources to New South Wales to help crews already on the ground.
Houses are destroyed after flooding following heavy rainfall in Tinonee, New South Wales
A house is seen after a landslip took out some of its foundations, forcing the road to be closed on Shortland esplanade in Newcastle on Sunday