People in suburbs stretching across Sydney's north and south west have been ordered to evacuate as the flood-crisis in New South Wales worsens.
Look back on our blog as it happened.
Key events
- More Sydney evacuation centres added
- Fresh evacuation orders for more Sydney suburbs
- Widespread school closures in NSW
- Parts of Camden told to evacuate now
- Here is the latest on the situation across NSW
- Evacuation order issued for North Richmond
- Hawkesbury River expected to exceed major flood levels
- Fourth body found in Lismore
- Severe storms, giant hail to hit south-east Queensland tomorrow
- A third body has been found in Lismore, further deaths possible NSW deputy premier says
- Hawkesbury, Georges Rivers residents urged to review evacuation kits and routes
- Warragamba Dam in Sydney's west has started to spill
- Cost of flood damage in Queensland could reach $1 billion: Palaszczuk
- Flood update from Northern Rivers SES
- 30,000 still without power in south-east Queensland
Live updates
By Georgia Hitch
Sydney areas under evacuation orders
The NSW SES has now issued more evacuation orders for people in the following suburbs in Sydney:
- Angus
- Richmond Lowlands
- Gronos Point
- Cornwallis
- Bligh Park
- South Windsor
- Agnes Banks
- Cattai
- Ebenezer
- Freemans Reach
- Leets Vale
- Pitt Town Bottoms
- Oakville
- Sackville
- Sackville North
- Pitt Town
The SES says people need to leave now.
By Daniel Colasimone
Where to find emergency assistance and information
-
For emergency assistance, contact SES in NSW or QLD on 132 500.
-
If your life is at risk, call Triple Zero (000) immediately.
- For the latest weather updates visit the Bureau of Meteorology in Queensland here or in NSW here
- Roads and bridges may be impacted by flash flooding. You can find more information in Queensland here
- Other emergency updates can be found at Queensland Fire and Emergency Services
- If you're not sure what to do when there's a flood, here's the best way to plan
Listen to ABC Local Radio for regular updates:
- ABC Wide Bay on 100.1fm + 855am or stream online
- ABC Brisbane on 612am or online
- ABC Sunshine Coast on 90.3fm Nambour and Gympie 95.3fm or the live stream
- ABC North Coast on 94.5fm or online here
By Daniel Colasimone
NSW evacuation centres:
- Banora Point Salvation Army - Cnr Leisure & Woodlands Drive, Banora Point
- Southern Cross University - Military Rd, East Lismore NSW 2480
- Kyogle Memorial Hall - Cnr Summerland Way & Strathden Street, Kyogle
- Murwillumbah TAFE - 146 Murwillumbah St, Murwillumbah NSW 2484
- Ocean Shores Country Club - 123 Orana Road, Ocean Shores NSW 2483
- Coraki Uniting Church - 50 Adams Street Coroki NSW 2471
- Maclean Showgrounds - 12 Cameron St, Maclean NSW 2463
- Kingscliff TAFE - 806 Cudgen Rd, Kingscliff NSW 2487
- South Grafton High School - Tyson Street, South Grafton NSW 2460 - Relocated from Grafton Racecourse
- Mullumbimby RSL - 58 Dalley St, Mullumbimby NSW
- Bellingen Highschool - 1125 Waterfall Way, Bellingen NSW 2454
- ex Woolgoolga - 18 Boundary St, Woolgoolga NSW 2456
- Casino High School - 90 Queensland Rd, Casino NSW 2470
- Wardell Sport & Recreation Club, Bath Street, Wardell NSW 2477
- Xavier College, 2 Redford Drive, Skennars Head NSW 2478
- Lennox Head Cultural Centre - 1 Mackney Lane, Lennox Head NSW 2478
- Brunswick Hotel - 4 Mullumbimby Street, Brunswick Heads NSW 2483
- Cherry Street Sports Club - 68 Cherry Street, Ballina NSW 2478
- Woodburn Public School - Woodburn Street, Woodburn NSW 2472
- Camp Drew - Camp Drew Road, Lennox Head
- Goonellabah Sports and Aquatic Centre -1 Wallerawang Drive, Goonellabah NSW 2480
- Iluka Bowling Club - 75-79 Spenser Street, Iluka NSW 2466
- Evans Head RSL - 11-13 McDonald Place, Evans Head NSW 2473
- Rappville Primary School - 5/7 Lyons Street, Rappville NSW 2469
- Blacktown Leisure Centre - Stanhope Parkway and Sentry Drive, Stanhope Gardens NSW 2768
- Castle Hill RSL- 77 Castle Street Castle Hill 2154
- Canley Vale Diggers Club - 1 Bartley Street Canley Vale 2166
- Richmond Club - East Market Street, Richmond
By Georgia Hitch
That's it for me and the blog this evening
Thanks for joining me tonight, we'll be back with a new blog in a few hours but until then if you need information about evacuation warnings and orders for flood zones in Sydney, the NSW SES website is your best bet.
Stay safe and dry and catch you again tomorrow night!
By Georgia Hitch
BoM warns flooding higher than last year
We've already heard this from a couple of authorities today but it seems as though the flooding around Sydney's north-west is worse than what the area experienced around the same time last year.
Earlier today NSW Deputy Premier Paul Toole said the amount of water spilling over Warragamba Dam was 200 gigalitres more than in March 2021.
By Georgia Hitch
Geography lessons abound
Where is the suburb of Angus??
-Typo??
Angus is in fact a suburb in Sydney's north-west, it falls under the Blacktown City Council area.
According to its website Angus is named after a former Shire President of the Blacktown Shire Council who served from 1917-1920.
It sounds like it's a new one, hence why you (and I) probably haven't heard about it before.
By Georgia Hitch
Support for flood-ravaged areas
Our Hearts go out to all that are going through this Devastating ordeal!
-Kay
Sad to see your post about the Macquarie Park Boathouse Cafe. It's a great spot that I frequent on a monthly basis so it will be devastating if they get damaged again after all the loses of last year. Fingers crossed for them, I will be waiting for them to reopen once ready and show my support!
-Lucy
By Georgia Hitch
UQ students allowed on campus to access power
UQ is allowing students who have lost power back on to campus tomorrow - hopefully this helps people with being able to charge devices, get hot showers etc!
-E
UQ is indeed letting students and teachers onto campus from Thursday March 3 (so technically today but let's call it tomorrow).
From tomorrow the St Lucia, Herston, Long Pocket and Toowong campuses are open but with restricted access for:
- Staff urgently needing to collect equipment and documents
- Students who need emergency support or access to power
- Research staff with critical research are permitted access only if safe to do so
- Authorised and emergency staff working on the clean-up and essential services.
The CBD campuses, Pharmacy Centre of Excellence and Indooroopilly Mine are all open without restrictions.
Gatton campus remains closed.
By Georgia Hitch
More Sydney evacuation centres added
Hi, there are now evac centres open in canley vale at the diggers club, Blacktown leisure centre, Richmond Club RSL, Penrith Panthers and Windsor and kurrajong
-Evax
Thanks for letting me know Evax! The SES doesn't appear to be updating its list of evacuation centres but after a quick ringaround it seems you're on the money that Canley Vale Diggers Club, Blacktown Leisure Centre and Richmond Club are all now evacuation centres.
So is Castle Hill RSL, the post pinned to the top of the blog has been updated with these new spots.
As for Penrith Panthers Club, it was going to be a centre but has now been deemed in the area of concern so authorities are directing people to the other centres instead.
Windsor RSL is going to stay open through the night in case people need refuge, but it isn't an official centre.
If you hear there are other places people can go, please don't hesitate to let me know!
By Georgia Hitch
Power outage update for Qld and NSW
Thousands are still without power across NSW and Qld but energy companies in both states say they're working to remedy that ASAP.
In Qld, Energex says it's hoping to have the lights back on for most of the 18,000 customers there who currently are without power.
In NSW, Essential Energy says that as at 5pm 18,006 customers were without power.
It posted a photo showing how high the floodwaters were in Lismore, with debris entangled at the local substation.
By Georgia Hitch
What good is a $5bn natural disaster fund that spends (almost) no money?
Even as the flooding disaster continues to unfold, questions are starting to be asked about what more could have been done to mitigate its impact.
Federal Labor is again raising questions about a roughly $5bn disaster fund sitting on the federal government’s books, that until very recently had been hardly touched.
The "Emergency Response Fund" was set up with $4bn in late 2019, and has since then accrued nearly a billion dollars in interest.
The federal government says it’s doing exactly what it was designed for, providing a huge resource to combat future disasters.
But Labor argues more of that money could be doing a lot of good right now.
Check out political reporter Tom Lowrey's story on the fund here.
By Georgia Hitch
Using a steak knife to cut a hole in the roof
Some of the stories about how people clawed - or in this case cut - their way out of floodwaters in Lismore have been pretty hairy.
ABC Radio's Carly Williams spoke to a couple about their escape from their house which included havig to cut a man hole in the verandah roof with a steak knife.
Not only did they and their family manage to get to safety, their cat and dog (pictured below) made it out ok too.
You can listen to Carly's full report here.
By Georgia Hitch
Thanks from a newby blogger
You are doing a great job on the blog tonight.
-Rodney
Unbelievablely stressful and all consuming. Good on you for reporting it. Hope you are staying sane.
-Wet Sydneysider
Thanks Rodney and Wet Sydneysider - staying sane and dry here in soggy Canberra. This is my first time blogging and I just hope I can help get as much information out there as possible about what's happening on the ground.
But if you do need to have a chat to someone, some great starting places are below.
- Lifeline on 13 11 14
- Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800
- MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978
- Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467
- Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36
- Headspace on 1800 650 890
- QLife on 1800 184 527
By Georgia Hitch
Why are we getting all this rain?
After our not-so-summery summer thanks to the La Nina weather system, more rain on the forecast may not have surprised people.
But the most recent storms in south-east Queensland and now NSW have actually been caused by a system known as an east coast low.
What's an east coast low, you ask? Well, our weather guru Kate Doyle has just the piece to answer all your questions.
By Georgia Hitch
By Georgia Hitch
Mud Army 2.0 info
There's a bit more info from the Brisbane City Council about the plan for tomorrow's first cleanup with the 2022 version of the Mud Army.
The cleanup will start at 9am at RNA Showgrounds.
But, importantly, this is going to be a small effort because of concerns around the severe storm forecast to hit SEQ tonight and tomorrow.
If you do want to help tomorrow you have to sign up to be a volunteer (link in the tweet below!).
Never fear though, if you want to help out there's opportunities to muck in on Friday and Saturday too.
By Georgia Hitch
Fresh evacuation orders for more Sydney suburbs
The NSW SES has issued fresh evacuation orders for several more Sydney suburbs.
People in parts of Bligh Park, South Windsor, Agnes Banks, Cattai, Ebenezer, Sackville, Sackville North, Oakville, Freemans Reach, Pitt Town, Pitt Town Bottoms and Leets Vale have been told to leave by 11pm.
By Georgia Hitch
COVID isolation advice for flood evacuees
Ah yes, that old thing called the pandemic - making extremely trying natural disasters just a little bit more tricky.
NSW Health has put out advice for anyone who is isolating because they have COVID-19 or are a close contact, and has been told to evacuate due to the floods.
The bottom line is an emergency evacuation is a valid reason to leave your home.
"If you are told to evacuate, you must evacuate," Acting Chief Health Officer Marianne Gale said.
"Under no circusmtances should you remain in self-isolation at your residence."
Dr Gale said that where possible, you should stay with family or friends who are up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations, who have enough room to allow you to keep self-isolating and who don't have any elderly or immunocompromised people at their house.
But, that said, evacuation centres have plans in place to manage the risk of COVID transmission so if you don't have anywhere else to go don't hesitate to go to one of them.
By Georgia Hitch
Widespread school closures in NSW
The NSW Education Department has put out an update on which schools - both public and independent - will be closed tomorrow.
The list is long so I won't include the whole thing, instead you can go through the list yourself here.
By Georgia Hitch
Updated list of evacuation centres
Can we please get an updated list of evacuation centres pinned to the post
-Penrith
Hey Penrith, thanks so much for that request - the pinned post above has been updated to include a few more centres in NSW.
The NSW SES hasn't updated its website since 2:35pm but I'll keep my eye on it and be sure to let you know and everyone else know if any more are added.
