Armidale has been drenched with a staggering 244.4mm this month, with the majority falling last week. Heavy falls were recorded in Armidale on Wednesday and early Thursday morning of 87.6mm, with the daily total on Wednesday of 79mm breaking an 11-year record. A further 23.8mm fell early Friday morning, followed by a predicted further drenching of 43.4mm on Saturday morning.
Already bursting its banks on Wednesday, Dumaresq Creek resembled a raging torrent on Saturday, with flash flooding engulfing the Creeklands, with extensive road closures around the area. The Belgrave Cinema in Dumaresq Street was isolated for most of Saturday morning, with floodwaters lapping at the bottom steps and across into Jessie Street. The car park at Centro was evacuated as a precaution to increasing floodwaters; however escaped inundation as floodwaters receded Saturday afternoon. Armidale SES crews were on hand to monitor the flash flooding throughout the Creeklands area.
Armidale SES Local Controller Elaine Towner says the SES has been responding to calls since Wednesday evening.
“Early on it was mostly just localised flash flooding, water entering properties from over flooded drains or from just lack of drainage, a few leaking roofs and some trees that had come down,” Elaine Towner said
“The most jobs that we received were on Saturday morning and again they were just from localised flooding.
“We were down at Centro and closed the car park, moving all the vehicles out, as the water was moving up Jessie Street, cutting off Beardy Street.
“There were also a lot of teenagers and children swimming in the floodwaters, which was really dangerous, so we had a few crews out monitoring that behaviour and making sure people were getting out of the water.
“The water level peaked at 1.6m at the causeway on Dumaresq Street near the Belgrave Cinema.”
As the rain eased and the sun emerged, many residents took the opportunity to see firsthand the power of the water inundating the Creeklands, with many claiming that they hadn’t seen this extensive flooding in the area for at least 20 years.
Armidale resident and keen photographer Ian Metcalfe, who ventured out to take a few snaps of the floodwaters said, in his 21 years of living in Armidale, he cannot recall the water being as high.
“It is very impressive, we ourselves had a river flowing through our backyard on South Hill this morning which almost got into the house. That’s pretty unusual and the first time it has happened to us,” said Mr Metcalfe.
“I have never seen it as high as this.
“I spoke to some older residents today and they were telling me that perhaps, back in the ’60s, it was higher.”
Meteorologists from the Weather Channel are predicting another burst of rain for already saturated areas of Northern NSW, with heavy showers and thunderstorms predicted for this week.
“The rain cleared on Saturday, but a band of heavy showers and thunderstorms will sweep east through New South Wales today (Monday) and Thursday,” said Tom Saunders, Senior Meteorologist at The Weather Channel.
“Up to about 50mm of rain will fall over the flooded catchments in the north, possibly enough to cause some renewed secondary flood peaks. However, this week’s rain is unlikely to cause the current flood peaks to worsen.
“Drier weather will return for the remainder of the week, but La Niña conditions through the Pacific and warmer than normal ocean temperatures in the Indian Ocean will combine to maintain above average rain through northern New South Wales through summer.”
In other areas across the region, Guyra recorded 250.2mm for November, with the highest total of 105mm falling Friday night and Saturday morning. Walcha, which has received less rain, achieved a total of 155.8mm for November with the highest total of 53.4mm falling on Friday night and Saturday morning. Tamworth received 197.8mm in November with the highest total of 66mm falling on Friday and Saturday morning. Glen Innes has had its heaviest rain in more than two years on Wednesday, receiving 90mm, which also breaks a 130-year November record for daily rainfall. Wollomombi gained 108mm on Wednesday, its biggest downpour in more than a decade.
Story: Jo Harrison
