Australian Town Sees 2nd Flood in a Fortnight, Residents Ordered to Evacuate

SES members take a jet ski out to assess a job in the floodwaters in Forbes, Australia, on Nov. 6, 2022. (AAP Image/Lucy Cambourn)

Residents in the New South Wales (NSW) rural town of Forbes have been issued their second emergency flood evacuation warning in two weeks as major flash flooding occurs throughout the state.

The State Emergency Services (SES) changed its warning for people in Forbes and the surrounding areas to evacuate before 7 a.m. because the nearby Lachlan River was rising faster than originally thought.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said the Lachlan River near Forbes could reach a peak of 10.8 metres (35 feet) by Tuesday afternoon, similar to the June 1952 flood.

It comes 10 days after the town was inundated, causing the CBD to become “isolated and like an island,” the SES said on Nov. 5.

Forbes Mayor Phyllis Miller said people were feeling shocked, especially the newer residents.

“They can’t believe this could happen twice in such a short period of time,” she told the ABC. “But they’re resilient. They’re all working.”

“We need lots of sandbags, and everyone was working really hard yesterday.”

Premier Dominic Perrottet acknowledged the challenging period communities were experiencing, particularly in the central west, and warned of more difficult times ahead.

“There are obviously concerns for our communities in Eugowra and Forbes, particularly Forbes this morning, where evacuation orders are in place,” he told reporters on Tuesday.

The focus in Eugowra and Forbes was on rescues and keeping people safe, with 14 aircrafts currently operating in Eugowra for conducting rescues.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet speaks to the media during a press conference at the State Emergency Operations Centre in Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney, Australia, on Nov. 15, 2022. (AAP Image/Bianca De Marchi)

People Urged to Follow Emergency Instructions

The premier urged people to follow instructions for their own safety because the ground, catchments, and rivers were all full and it wouldn’t take much rain to cause further flash flooding.

“We do expect more heavy rainfall over the weekend,” he said. “It’s only taken between 100 and 150 millilitres of rainfall overnight and we will have flash flooding, and that can come up very, very quickly,” he said.

“So when those orders are in place, even though you don’t see potentially flooding around you, you need to leave.”

Over the last 24 hours, the SES has had over 900 requests for assistance, and there have been 222 flood rescues.

Perrottet spoke with the acting prime minister for more support and said the state would have 100 additional defence personnel on the ground on Tuesday.

New Zealand also sent 24 flood rescue personnel to support local SES crews. The first crew of 12 arrived on Monday evening.

“Kia Ora to our fabulous friends from New Zealand,” the SES wrote on Facebook.

“For the first time in history, we have called in for international assistance. New Zealand has kindly offered 24 personnel from Fire and Emergency NZ, and we will have further support later this week from Singapore and the United States.”