Flood location.

EDIS Number: FL-20120125-33910-AUS
Date / time: 25/01/2012 04:22:45 [UTC]
Event: Flood
Area: Australia
Country: Australia
State/County: State of New South Wales
Location: [Darkwood region]
Number of Deads: N/A
Number of Injured: N/A
Number of Infected: N/A
Number of Missing: N/A
Number of Affected: 500 person(s)
Number of Evacuated: N/A
Damage level: Moderate

Description:

Up to 500 people have been cut off by flooding in northern NSW, with heavy rainfall set to continue throughout the week. About 500 residents of Darkwood became isolated after the Bellinger River flooded overnight, the State Emergency Service (SES) said this morning. It comes after parts of Bellingen, southwest of Coffs Harbour, became inaccessible on Tuesday afternoon as the Bellinger River flooded low-lying areas of the town, cutting it in two. The town's only bridge was submerged, with 11 roads closed and several homes suffering minor flooding. Residents in remote parts of Thora and Kalang, west and southwest of Bellingen, were also cut off, with several homes flooded. SES spokeswoman Becky Gollings said volunteers had been called out to 65 jobs in the last 24 hours, including eight jobs overnight. This included calls from 12 people who got cut off downstream near Urunga.

“Our main concerns at the moment are Bellingen and Darkwood,” Ms Gollings said. However, she said the residents of Darkwood were “no strangers to flooding” and tended to be prepared for periods of isolation. The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued flood warnings for the Bellinger, Nambucca and Orara rivers as a slow-moving area of low pressure moved over the state, bringing heavy rain. Further heavy rainfall has been forecast for the region on Wednesday, easing briefly on Thursday before returning on Friday and over the weekend. “Periods of heavy rain, which may lead to flash flooding, are forecast for the Northern Rivers, mid-north coast, and eastern parts of the Northern Tablelands forecast districts tonight and Wednesday,” the bureau said on its website late on Tuesday. “This is of some concern to us as these catchment areas have already had a good soaking,” Ms Gollings said. Last night, emergency rescue officers were called to Bellmere, north of Caboolture, after reports of people trapped in their cars by floodwaters. Conditions are expected to worsen with creeks already breaking their banks, sending floodwaters into homes and businesses. As at 5.45am Wednesday there are flood warnings for the Mary, Noosa, Maroochy and Mooloolah rivers, north of Brisbane and for the Albert and Logan rivers south of Brisbane.