Flooding to split NSW town of Forbes in half
Flood-impacted communities across NSW are likely to face another soaking over the weekend. Photo: AAP
A NSW town will be split in half as it prepares for high water, while Victoria’s northwest remains on alert for flooding.
Forbes in the NSW central west is bracing for the overflowing Lachlan River to potentially reach 10.8 metres on Saturday, a high-water mark not reached since 1952.
Forbes Shire Mayor Phyllis Maher said a ferry will be available to transport residents to the north side of town as floodwaters rise.
“Battye Street is the last road that will close and divide the town in two,” Ms Maher said in a video posted on Facebook.
About 1000 people have been told to leave for higher ground, with the flood threat coming despite a minimal chance of weekend rain.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said 50 Australian Defence Force personnel will be deployed in Forbes, with about 200 available for flooded communities around the state.
NSW State Emergency Services Assistant Commissioner Nicole Hogan said people in the Forbes area have seen flooding before, but not to this extent in recent times.
“What we’re seeing in areas like Forbes is referred to as blue-sky floods,” Ms Hogan said.
“Even when the rain has stopped falling, water is continuing to move downstream through various catchments, creating issues with river rises and renewed flood peaks.”
The SES has responded to nearly 2500 requests for assistance and performed 114 flood rescues over the last week.
Tweet from @NSWSES
More than 2660 buildings have been assessed with 1147 damaged.
Meanwhile, police divers continue to search for a man swept out of a ute tray into a flooded river in the state’s Southern Tablelands region.
Two men were flung from the tray on Monday night when the ute was driven across a causeway.
The other man’s body was found on Thursday afternoon.
Across the border in Victoria, more than 50 flood hazard warnings are active and over 460 roads remain closed.
Major warnings remain in place at Echuca, Lower Moira, Barmah and the Murray River downstream of Tocumwal to Barham.
Major flooding is expected at Wakool Junction and Boundary Bend in northwest Victoria on the weekend and early next week, as breakout flows from Torrumbarry Weir spill into the Wakool River to combine with flows from the Murray and Edward rivers.
