With much of the state experiencing severe thunderstorms and flash flooding over the past week, the NSW State Emergency Service (SES) is urging people to remain vigilant both on the roads and on the water this summer period.
Over the past week NSW has been battered by storms, with NSW SES volunteers responding to more than 1270 incidents across the state, including 19 flood rescues, since unsettled weather began last week.
The majority of incidents were in Metropolitan Sydney, where SES volunteers responded to 569 incidents, including 9 flood rescues.
These have mostly been for fallen trees and branches, leaking roofs and requests for sandbagging.
NSW SES State Duty Commander, Assistant Commissioner Dean Storey said the flood rescues should serve as a warning to people thinking about taking the risk of driving through floodwaters.
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“The majority of flood rescues over the weekend were for people in vehicles who had driven into flash flooding during severe thunderstorms,” Assistant Commissioner Storey said.
“Flash flooding can happen quickly, and there’s often damage to the road surface underneath the water so it’s important people don’t take the risk of driving through floodwaters. You should stop, turn around and find an alternate route.
“To stay across the latest information and warnings, download the Hazards Near Me app and monitor Live Traffic NSW before travelling to understand which roads may be closed.”
There are currently eight advice warnings for minor flooding in catchments in the Northern Rivers, Tumut, Western NSW and Northern Tablelands.
More severe weather is forecast for Friday and Saturday, particularly in the Central West and south-western NSW. Severe storms could bring local heavy rainfall, damaging wind and large hail.
NSW SES members have been briefed by the Bureau of Meteorology and will continue to monitor conditions and forecast to ensure we’re prepared, and assets and personnel are prepositioned if required.
“More than 1,000 SES members have been active on operations since the event began, and we remain ready to assist communities during flooding and storm impacts,” Assistant Commissioner Storey said.
"During holiday periods, it's crucial for those unfamiliar with their surroundings to use the Hazards Near Me app. Set a watch zone for your holiday destination to receive alerts about storms, floods, and other hazards, and know how to stay safe," Acting Assistant Commissioner McQueen said.
Flood watches were in place for the Belubula, Lachlan and Mandagery Creeks.
For assistance from the NSW SES during floods or storms, call 132 500. For life threatening situations call Triple Zero (000).
The NSW SES is also encouraging residents to download the Hazards Near Me app to their smart devices or visit Hazard Watch.
