The Bureau of Metereology has a Severe weather warning and a Flood watch current for the North Coast region.  Links to the Bureau of Metereology website are provided and both warnings are also replicated in plain text below.

Severe weather warning for heavy rainfall and damaging winds
Flood watch for the Northern Rivers, Bellinger and Upper Macintyre Valleys

 

SEVERE WEATHER WARNING

for HEAVY RAINFALL and DAMAGING WINDS

For people in the Northern Rivers and parts of the Mid North Coast, Hunter, Metropolitan, North West Slopes and Plains and Northern Tablelands Forecast Districts.

Issued at 4:37 pm Wednesday, 29 March 2017.

HEAVY RAIN IN THE NORTHEAST DURING THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.
DAMAGING WINDS ALONG THE COASTAL FRINGE NORTH OF SYDNEY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. 

 

SYNOPTIC SITUATION:
A low pressure system over central-eastern Queensland and a high pressure system over the Tasman Sea are dragging a humid tropical air mass over parts of NSW. Heavy rainfall over northeastern NSW is likely during Thursday and Friday as a cold front approaches from the southwest and interacts with this humid airmass.

 

HEAVY RAIN which may lead to FLASH FLOODING is expected over northern parts of the coast during Thursday and Friday. HEAVY RAIN which may lead to FLASH FLOODING is also possible over northern slopes and ranges on Thursday. 

24 hour totals in excess of 100 mm are expected over the Northern Rivers district during Thursday, and it is likely that some locations
will exceed more than 200 mm. 24 hour totals exceeding 100 mm during Thursday are also possible over parts of the northern ranges and slopes, and parts of the Mid North Coast.

Thunderstorms may develop with this system and could locally amplify rainfall.

DAMAGING WINDS averaging 65km/h with gusts in excess of 90km/h are possible along the coastal fringe north of about Sydney from Thursday afternoon, extending northwards during Thursday night and Friday. 

Locations which may be affected with heavy rainfall include Lismore, Grafton, Coffs Harbour, Tenterfield, Yamba, Glen Innes and Inverell. 
Locations which may be affected by damaging winds include coastal parts of Sydney, Gosford, Newcastle, Taree, Port Macquarie and Kempsey.

 

The State Emergency Service advises that people should: 
* Move vehicles under cover or away from trees. 
* Secure or put away loose items around your house, yard and balcony. 
* Keep at least 8 metres away from fallen power lines or objects that may be energised, such as fences. 
* Report fallen power lines to either Ausgrid on 131 388, or Endeavour Energy on 131 003 or Essential Energy on 132 080, as shown on your power bill. 
* Don't drive, ride or walk through flood water. 
* Keep clear of creeks and storm drains. 
* If you are trapped by flash flooding, seek refuge in the highest available place and ring 000 if you need rescue. 
* For emergency help in floods and storms, ring your local SES Unit on 132 500. 
 

 

FLOOD WATCH FOR THE NORTHERN RIVERS, BELLINGER AND UPPER MACINTYRE VALLEYS

Issued at 10:39 am EDT on Wednesday 29 March 2017

Note: This Flood Watch provides early advice for possible future flooding along all rivers, creeks and overland flow paths within a nominated valley [See note below].

A cold front moving through NSW during Thursday will interact with moisture from Tropical Cyclone Debbie, leading to widespread rain over the state's east. Particularly heavy rain is expected in parts of the northeast on Thursday, likely continuing into Friday as a low pressure trough deepens near the Queensland border.

This weather system has the potential to cause river flooding as well as local flash flooding to develop along the following river valleys from Thursday onwards:

1. Tweed Valley - moderate to major flooding

2. Brunswick Valley - moderate to major flooding

3. Richmond-Wilsons Valley - moderate to major flooding

4. Clarence Valley (including Orara) - minor to moderate flooding

5. Bellinger Valley - minor flooding

6. Upper Macintyre Valley - minor to moderate flooding

This Flood Watch means that people living or working along rivers and streams must monitor the latest weather forecasts and warnings and be ready to move to higher ground should flooding develop. Flood Warnings will be issued if Minor Flood Level is expected to be exceeded at key sites along the main rivers for which the Bureau of Meteorology provides a flood warning service. Across NSW, about 70% of Flood Watches are followed by flooding.

FloodSafe advice is available at www.ses.nsw.gov.au

For emergency assistance call the SES on telephone number 132 500.

For life threatening emergencies, call 000 immediately.
 

Weather Forecast:

For the latest weather forecast see www.bom.gov.au/nsw/forecasts/

 

      Our Emergency Management role

Under the Local Land Services Act, North Coast Local Land Services is tasked with a range of services, and emergency management is a key priority.  The Act prescribes our involvement in Emergencies through Section 4 which states:

4 Meaning of 'local land services' and 'State priorities for local services'
    .... (c) preparedness, response and recovery for animal pest and disease and plant pest
         disease and other emergencies impacting on primary production or animal health
         and safety.

Local Land Services regularly provides assistance to landholders following natural disasters including bushfires and floods.  It is our preference to have landholders informed beforehand to ensure they have as much time to plan ahead and reduce the impacts that may occur.  We provide flood warnings via our e-newsletters to further highlight the warnings issued by the Bureau of Metereology as another avenue to inform landholders.
  
Landholders are encouraged to review information via the Bureau of Metereology and a range of other information sources and, due to the fact we are legislated to assist in this area of emergencies, we also raise awareness of these events.

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