Vast areas have been inundated and Tuggerah Lakes are once again in flood with water as high as 1.8m below the normal height. The Lower Hawkesbury is at its highest level in 100 years.
Council continues to work alongside all local emergency agencies with the Emergency Operations Centre activated, with NSW State Emergency Service (NSW SES) leading the response.
SES, RFS and other support services have been providing invaluable assistance to keep the community safe – they have been in the conditions at all hours rescuing, door knocking, removing dangerous items and providing resources to isolated community members.
Council reports its staff is working around the clock to closely monitor local roads, waterways, beaches, water and sewer systems, and other essential services with crews attending to any impacts.
Community members are still being urged to remain vigilant, exercise extra caution on roads, and are reminded to never enter or drive through flood waters.
For the latest weather warnings and conditions go to the Bureau of Meteorology website.
For emergency help in floods and storms, call NSW SES on 132 500. If life-threatening, call 000 (Triple Zero).
Waterways
Flood evacuation warnings issued from NSW State Emergency Service remain in place for:
• Low-lying areas of the Tuggerah Lakes Estuary
• Lower Hawkesbury River
Major flooding is occurring at the Tuggerah Lakes, where water levels are above the major flood level of 1.60m and currently at 1.67m - the same level reached in 2020.
Major flooding has peaked at Wisemans Ferry at 5.7m. It is now at 5.5m. Flood levels will continue to rise at Gunderman and Spencer at levels higher than the recent March 2022 flood. This flood appears to be the largest in the lower Hawkesbury River in the last 100 years.
Debris and large items are in flood waters and rivers and traveling through to beach foreshores, specifically in the south at Patonga and Umina. Council crews will continue to monitor and collect materials.
More information on waterways including the status of The Entrance, lagoons and beach erosion is on Council’s website
Evacuation Centres
• If possible, stay with family and friends or go to the Evacuation Centre set up at Diggers at The Entrance (315 The Entrance Rd, Long Jetty).
• Residents from evacuated areas can bring domestic animals with them if they are unable to be accommodated elsewhere. People must remain with their animals.
• Evacuation centres will provide accommodation assistance and support.
• If you are currently in self-isolation due to COVID-19, contact the Public Health Unit on 1300 066 055 before leaving your location, where possible
Road closures
• Many of our local roads are still closed due to water inundation and we encourage our residents and visitors to stay up to date with the latest closures before travelling on roads.
• Most importantly Council has asked people to avoid impacted roads as significant flash flooding is occuring. Please follow all signage and never enter or drive through flood waters or through closed roads. Driving through even shallow flood waters can cause water to inundate flooded properties creating further damage for residents in flood affected areas.
• There are trees across roads and landslips occuring which Council is responding to. In some areas, crews need to wait until water recedes to assess the damage and undertake work.
For information about road closures search ‘road closures’ at Council's website.
Local Dam Levels
• Upper Mooney Dam remains at full capacity. The volume of overflow from Upper and Lower Mooney Dams is reducing and the alert level has reduced from Amber to White.
• Mangrove Creek Dam has also reached full capacity at 100% and is spilling over the spillway. This is the first time since construction was completed in 1982.
• Mardi Dam is at 84.5% full and is being monitored.
Stay informed
• Council is encouraging the community to please stay informed of the evolving situation, look out for neighbors and remain vigilant.
• More information on impacts to Council services and managed spaces is on Council’s website and Facebook page
• For emergency status, alerts and warnings refer to the NSW SES website or NSW SES Facebook page
• Keep up to date with weather warnings and conditions on the Bureau of Meteorology website
• Keep an eye on Emergency updates and more advice on how to prepare for storms on Council’s Disaster Dashboard
Meanwhile, Member for the Entrance, David Mehan has confirmed that a sandbagging collection point has been set up at the EDSACC grounds, Bateau Bay.
Mr Mehan also advised that Diggers at The Entrance would be operating as an evacuation centre for flood affected locals. Affected residents and their pets will be accepted and services available to them as required.
“This new sandbagging location is welcomed and will make it much easier for my community to prepare for flooding,” Mr Mehan said.
“I expect that the EDSACC sandbag point will be established in a timely manner to help my community prepare for future flood events. I will continue to work with the SES and Central Coast Council to ensure that this is the case.”
“I commend Diggers at The Entrance for their continued service to our community and encourage flood affected locals who need assistance to make their way to the centre as required.”
