It’s been six years since two east coast lows in quick succession delivered huge amounts of rain on the Mid North Coast resulting in two weeks of flooding across the area.
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In 2013 the last week of February and first week of March saw torrential rains cause flooding on the Macleay, Hastings, Camden Haven, Manning, Myall and Gloucester catchments.
In the February event the Macleay and Hastings rivers saw major flooding resulting in the isolation of lower floodplain communities and inundation of properties. Rainfall totals in the 300mm to 400mm range over a three day period fell on catchments still wet from Australia Day minor flooding caused by ex-tropical cyclone Oswald.
In the Macleay evacuations were issued for the Lower Macleay and the Kempsey CBD. While in the Hastings evacuations orders were issued for Port Macquarie’s North Shore, Settlement Point, Hibbard Drive and low lying parts of the of the CBD.
A key feature of the first week of the floods was the rapid speed at which the Macleay and Hastings rivers rose, with the Macleay River at the Kempsey gauge rising from 1.2 metres to 6.0 metres in an 18 hour period.
On the Hastings the peak flood height at the Settlement Point gauge was 1.72 metres, just below the major flood height of 1.75 metres and below the predicted 1.9 metres. However the speed of the flood and the amount of debris in the river was compared to the major flooding of 1978.
Just when residents of the Mid North Coast thought the severe weather had finished, the first week of March saw a second east coast low form off the Hunter Coast and then track north. This resulted in renewed flooding however this time it was the lower parts of the Mid North Coast that were heavily impacted.
Across the two flood events NSW SES Mid North Coast volunteers responded to 1588 requests for emergency assistance include making safe storm damage properties, sandbagging, undertaking 41 flood rescues, resupplying essential supplies to isolated communities, providing livestock assistance and transporting people from flood isolated areas to urgent medical appointments.
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