Wagga will be battered by one of the most extreme weather systems to lash Australia’s southeast in decades with enough power to cause flash flooding.
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The State Emergency Service (SES) is preparing for the “possibility North Wagga could be cut off from town”, but houses are not anticipated to be inundated.
The Bureau of Meterology (BoM) has predicted widespread rain on Thursday and Friday, with the chance of isolated rainfall in excess of 100mm over Wagga, Blowering Dam and Burrinjuck Dam.
The monster storm system comes on the back of Wagga’s wettest September ever, smashing the previous record set 38 years ago.
Murrumbidgee SES operations officer Graeme Craig is overseeing a concerted sandbagging effort in anticipation of flash flooding and increased river heights.
"This is an operational response to the current threat, adding to sustained rainfall over the past month,” Mr Craig said.
“We are preparing for rain over the coming days and further rainfall next week.
“The Bureau of Meteorology predicts between 10mm and 50mm of widespread rain over the region, with potential falls in isolated areas of up to 100mm.”
Sandbags are being filled in Wagga at a rate of 300 per hour and distributed to towns along the Murrumbidgee River, including Temora, Cootamundra, Coleambally and Griffith.
Old Man Creek farmer David Goldman worried the intense low pressure system could cause “serious flooding” in Wagga.
“If the Blowering Dam and Burrinjuck Dam spill, you'd have a repeat of the 1974 situation, which was one of the highest floods to come through Wagga,” Mr Goldman said.
“1974 was a very wet year, very similar to this year.”
The Murray Darling Basin Plan critic teed off on “political influences” contributing to the height of the region’s dams.
The Burrinjuck Dam is at 97.5 per cent and the Blowering Dam is at 90.2 per cent.
The SES is staging daily meetings with dam owners and WaterNSW.
As of 2.26pm on Wednesday the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) predicts major flooding in Hay on Friday, moderate flooding in Narrandera today and minor flooding Darlington Point and Carrathool.
2RG radio station in Griffith is no longer broadcasting on 963AM after shutting down its transmitter site at Widgelli due to flooding.
For emergency assistance call the SES on 132 500.
