Thousands of people in danger of flooding after days of rain

 

Thousands of people in west-central New South Wales have been warned to prepare to evacuate as the Lachlan River threatens to flood after heavy rains hit the state.

More than 8000 inhabitants of the commune of TBEN are on the way of the river, which rises upstream.

The Bureau of Meteorology predicted possible major flooding at 10.55 meters on Tuesday and 10.65 meters on Wednesday morning, similar to the floods of September 2016.

The State Emergency Service has warned residents of 800 homes to start preparing and making arrangements for safety before the flooding begins.

“The situation is likely to change and it can escalate quickly,” warned the SES.

In the past 24 hours, TBEN’ SES unit responded to 120 calls for help, mostly for sandbags and roof leaks.

Statewide, the volunteer organization responded to 320 calls for help in the past 24 hours, after high winds combined with rains caused widespread devastation, particularly in the Sydney Hills district. , the Blue Mountains and the regional town of Wagga Wagga.

St Andrews Church in TBEN has been converted into an evacuation center as residents monitor the situation.

People were busy bagging properties after the Wyangala Dam near Cowra overflowed onto the Lachlan River on Sunday.

“Residents should monitor the situation and be ready to evacuate when prompted,” SES spokeswoman Andrea Cantle said on Monday.

“The height level of the river at Nanami… will determine the height level at TBEN, which will determine how many people we eventually evacuate.”

The BOM said floodwaters combined with increased discharges from the Wyangala Dam have already caused moderate flooding along the Lachlan River in Cowra, where the river level has peaked.

Floodwaters from Cowra, combined with floodwaters from the Belubula River, caused major flooding in Nanami, where the river level is expected to peak on Monday.

Downstream from TBEN, major flooding is also expected in Cottons Weir and Jemalong from Monday.

A Flood Evacuation Order will be issued by NSW SES via SMS if implemented.

There are also flood warnings across the border in Victoria. They include the lakes of Gippsland and the rivers of southern Gippsland in the eastern part of the state, and parts of the Yarra River.