Perilous Times
and Climate Change
Australia: State of NSW to get even wetter as severe rains,
high winds and tornadoes slam area
* By Samantha Townsend
* From: The Daily Telegraph
* June 14, 2011 12:26PM
Farmer Warren Clarke helps move cattle to higher ground on
property at Clybucca on the NSW mid-north coast, before forecast
floodwaters from torrential rain inundate the region. Picture:
Nathan Edwards Source: The Daily Telegraph
THE New South Wales mid-north coast is coping a battering from the
elements, with Red Rock's Bowling Club losing most of its roof in
a wild storm this morning.
Daily Examiner reports that residents up to half a kilometre away
heard a large explosion as iron from the roof cut the town's power
supply.
A Corindi SES spokesperson said a large weather system and strong
winds ripped through the town and caused damage at Corindi and
nearby Red Rock where a tornado slammed the local bowling club
ltaking off it's its roof.
The SES has received 330 requests for assistance, with 86 per cent
of these now complete, since the event began on Monday.
Most of the calls have been for leaking roofs, roof damage and
sandbagging requests as well as trees down.
Four caravans have been evacuated from Repton Caravan Park, south
of Coffs Harbour, due to rising river levels.
The Central Coast and the Hunter have been the areas with the
hardest hit, although emergency services workers will today shift
their focus the mid north coast.
Rain is continuing to batter the mid-north coast today and is
expected to continue for the next 24 hours.
The Bellinger Valley has been issued with a moderate flood warning
after it received an average of 200mm in the last 72 hours causing
the river to rise.
Although rain has eased since 6am today, further heavy rain in the
order of 50 to 100 millimetres is forecast for the next 12 hours.
According to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) a broad low pressure
system is deepening on the northern coast of New South Wales.
A line of continuous heavy showers and thunderstorms is tracking
in from the east in the Coffs Harbour/Woolgoolga area focusing
some of the highest falls in this area for the next few hours, but
homes have not been inundated at this stage.
Over the next 24 hours, BOM said the heaviest rain would remain
south of this low centre over the Mid North Coast, Hunter Valley
and eastern parts of the Northern Tablelands.
Further south there are about 50 rural properties isolated west of
Kempsey and Port Macquarie due to closure of country roads.
There is widespread flooding on the Pacific Highway between
Grafton and Kempsey and the potential for flash flooding in
northern parts of the state.
Since 9am yesterday Wooli Creek has received 170mm of rain,
Bellingen 159mm, Yamba 155mm and Coffs Harbour 123mm.
There are flood warnings for a number of rivers including the
Hastings Manning, Orara and Nambucca.