Topic: Coral Sea Lows - Major Flooding NE NSW / SE QLD (incl Kyogle, Lismore, Coraki): 29 Dec to 7 Jan 2008

[Jason(pato)]

Went out and about in the Lismore area this arvo with the family to take some shots of the flood waters. These photos are taken around 4:30-5:00pm so the flood waters would no doubt be a little higher now.

[Michael Bath]

A few more photos of the flooding in the Lismore area this afternoon to add to what Jason posted.

The Wilsons River is now about 1km wide east of Eltham. This pic taken a couple of ks north of my place.



Rodney and I came across many impassable roads - this one near Bexhill



The river is just about to result in the Lismore Bangalow Road being closed. Note all the bugs on the post - there were spiders all over the road trying to escape.





Scenes in Lismore - the river had just reached the moderate flood level of about 7.3 metres (3.71m to go on the levee topping indicator)

[Richary]

Note all the bugs on the post - there were spiders all over the road trying to escape.

Well yes, that was one of the interesting things I noted in my earlier message about rowing into Coraki. Every tree/post was covered in spiders. More interesting was the one time a red-bellied black snake that had taken refuge up a tree decided the boat looked a safer bet. They can swim pretty well, and I discovered just how fast I could row. I had no idea if he could have jumped out of the water into the old wooden boat we had, but I wasn't hanging about to find out.

Of course on the small farm we had then which dropped down into a swamp, every flood brought a flood of red bellies and browns up towards our place as well.

[Michael Bath]

There is MAJOR flooding of the Tweed River at Murwillumbah and the Richmond River at Kyogle this morning. The northern part of the North Rivers copped some extreme rainfalls (up to 200mm in 3 hours to midnight - Tweed Caldera) mainly leading up to midnight. Some lightning and thunder was observed to my north.

[Mike]

Wow, that's just incredible.  Beggars the logic that so much rain can fall from one system not matter where it is!  Have been watching the event unfold on the TV this morning with some neat coverage.  Evactuations are even in place for some residents of those affected by oncoming floods i hear.

Mike

[jab_au]

And now that it's sunny it's going to get really nasty and humid. It's going to be an unpleasant afternoon.

EDIT
There also photos on the ABC Northcoast Website

Extra Link: http://www.abc.net.au/northcoast/stories/s2132301.htm

[Gambit]

Have been downtown in Lismore today a few times, first thing this morning about 0830 the river was well and truly up. I have quite a few pics but they are on the camera which has gone AWOL at the moment so I will upload them later today.

I was down there an hour ago and it has risen at least another meter since this morning getting very close to 9.00 meters AHD with 2 meters till it goes over the levy.
All reports are saying that it will not rise any higher however; I'm a little dubious as there has been very substantial falls overnight in the catchment areas. These falls are still to make their way down the river so I think that the river in Lismore may still rise considerably.

And as jab_au has said it was sunny this morning and deadset it is stickier and more humid than a sumo's armpit, it’s bloody horrible.

just to ad 1.79 meters now till it breaches the Levy as at 1542

[Jason(pato)]

Hi,

Went out on a flood tour with Michael and Rodney this arvo (thanks to Rod for driving, I owe you a ride in my beast). Headed out towards Casino with the intention of seeing how far we could get to Kyogle. Started off looking around some parts of the outskirts of Lismore. Came across one foolish person who thought that they could make it across a flooded Canaiba road just outside Lismore. He and his family must have only just entered, as we arrived just as they were coming from the vehicle, whats even worse about it is that they had a child with them. We could only shake our heads in disbelief that someone could be so stupid. We then ventured towards Casino marvelling at how much water was around, and we were accompanied by quite heavy rain most of the way there. We decided to try our luck on the Summerland Way to Kyogle but we didn't get far, stopped by a rising creek about 5km's out of Casino.We only saw one person came through from the Kyogle end. We then made our way back along the Summerland Way stopping off at a few vantage points to get some  more pics. We then made our way back into Casino to have a look at the Richmond River at the bridge. Upon arriving we were greeted by the sound of a quickly moving flooded river, we were in awe to say the least. We snapped away I headed under the bridge then up onto it and got some pics. It was really moving with plenty of eddies forming around the bridge supports. When I was on the bridge something caught my eye, there was some young aboriginal guys actually leaping off the bridge into the swollen torrent below. One guy performing a backflip as if to show that it was really nothing to worry about ( you can see him in one of my pics below). Not for the first time today was I appalled at the stupidity of some people.  After a few more pics we headed back to Lismore once again stopping on Canaiba Rd to see if the car was still there but it had vanished, either swept away or towed out by another  vehicle. Hope you enjoy the pics,

Cheers Jason

[Gambit]

Here are a few Pics from today,

Have just got back from the River, it has 1.57mts till it goes over the Levy.

Like Jason I have seen quite a few things today that could be deemed interesting or lacking in intelligence.
I saw a guy crossing the Bridge over the Wilson River in a pair of 1.5 mtr stilts, I was waiting for him to trip A over T and go in the drink.

I saw people swimming, skiing, playing, in flood water especially kids. (not good).

A few cars had been left very close to rising flood water... (conveiniantly; they werent there the first time I went past)

People thinking their 1985 Commodore was amphibious, and as it turns out... They aren't.


And finally Water I saw lots and lots and lots of water... Which made me think... How on Earth did all that water and I mean
LOTS of water get up in the sky?

I heard on the local ABC radio this morning that we have had Approx. 650mm in 7 days.
And looking today at the hectares of water lying around the traps also the gargantuan volume of water flowing down both rivers.
The River would be easy 20 Meters deep, and at the moment 75 meters wide in some parts, which equates to an enormous amount of water.

Where did it all evaporate from to become rain and then fall again? Food for thought.

Cheers

Mat.

[Michael Bath]

Some pics from the flood tour yesterday with Rodney and Jason.

The people who didn't quite make it along Caniaba Road just south of Lismore Airport:



As Jason mentioned we didn't get far north of Casino on the Summerland Way - stopped by Lagoon Creek at Fairy Hill.

Extensive flooding of the Richmond River just north of Casino:





The Richmond River in Casino at the Irving Bridge - it's the first time I've seen anything other than a small watercourse passing through a rocky river basin here. There were plenty of large trees floating down the river yet these kids kept jumping in!







Jason had to return home to South Lismore at this stage for flood preparations. Rodney and I continued looking around, first on the Lismore Kyogle Road which was blocked by flooding at Leycester. We then took the Rock Valley Road. Fortunately the river was dropping here so we were able to pass.



We made it all the way to the outskirts of Kyogle via Cawongla and the Murwillumbah Kyogle Road







The Richmond River flood peak of 18.1m at Kyogle around 11am had dropped by about 30cm by the time we got there around 5pm. This is the first major flood in Kyogle since the 18.9m record peak of Feb 1954.

The Wilsons River peaked in Lismore about 9.4m -just under the major flood level. It's been a long time since the western part of the Northern Rivers - ie the Richmond River catchment - received such a major flood.

[Rodney Wallbridge]

Gyday all some more pics from the flood tour with Michael and Jason(Pato) yesterday.
 
2kms north of Kyogle
 
Lismore levee in action at peak 9.4
 
 
Casino bridge 
 
South of Kyogle

[Mike]

That amount of water is just over the top!  The damage bill is going to be quite expansive after this event - when it does eventually subside.  As for the dills jumping off the bridge - mmm, i see that here also.  There's no intelligence in that anywhere.  More to the fact of impressing the mates or one's ego.  You can bet that if one of them got into strife their attitude would change until they're rescued - then it would be back to the same antics.  I would suspect the river is flowing extremely fast considering it's dragging logs and branches downstream and you just have to witness stupidity in motion.

The low seems to be staying put for a fair while on the maps and hugging the coastal regions?  There must be an impressive onshore moisture flow for this thing to be hanging around for so long.  Does anyone know what level the major dams in the area will benefit from all this wet stuff.

Mike

[Richary]

And now I see they are getting some thunderstorms to help top it all off! A few more mm won't hurt!

[Michael Bath]

Back from storm and flood obs west of Lismore. Chase opportunities are very limited today given the number of roads blocked by floodwaters.  That was certainly the case west of McKees Hill on the Bruxner Highway halfway between Lismore and Casino. Council has set up a road block but they were not stopping people from wanting to venture a bit further for photos.

I was amazed at how much flooding there is in the area caused by the Richmond River - many homes isolated, cars submerged and fast flowing water in places.

[Richary]

I saw some footage from Coraki on the TV News tonight. Lapping at the front of the shops in the main street, and that was before the peak. The couple of floods I lived through there that was as high as it ever got. Heard stories the locals would sit in the pub and take bets about when it would trickle over the top of the road (the high point) and start flowing down to the lower areas to the west (where our house was, but up on a safe hill).