| Widespread flooding is expected to force more evacuations today as heavy rain continues across large parts of New South Wales, the ACT and northern Victoria. In NSW the SES has responded to more than 740 calls for help since torrential downpours began on Monday. A large, slow-moving trough has set in for the next few days and is currently affecting 75 per cent of the state. Around 70 people have been evacuated at Cowra and waters are rising in the central west. Further south, evacuation warnings have also been issued for parts of Goulburn, Cooma and downstream of the Jerrara Dam near Kiama. A minor flood warning has been issued for the city of Bathurst. In the far west, the rain is being described as unprecedented and numerous roads are closed. Phil Carmichael from Rose Hill Station, near Ivanhoe, she says she has had 350 millimetres of rain since Monday. "Our shearing quarters over there, it's flooded really right out and our old wool shed, it's under about four feet of water," she said. "No-one's ever experienced this in their life." Broken Hill has recorded nearly 100 millimetres of rain since Monday. The Warragamba Dam, west of Sydney, is at risk of overflowing which could cause problems for Richmond and Windsor north-west of the city. In Victoria, more than 60 millimetres have fallen in Shepparton and surrounding areas causing flooding in some parts. Residents at Tallygaroopna and Congupna are being told to check their properties and prepare to evacuate to a relief centre in Shepparton. Rob Johnstone from the SES says there are also reports of flooding in Yarrawonga and Bundalong. "We expect that will be the main area of concern for us this morning," he said. In the ACT, a number of roads remain closed as well as parks and recreation areas. Minor flooding is also expected in a number of centres around Canberra today, including Queanbeyan and Oaks Estate. The state's emergency services are preparing for more rain over the next three days with up to 300 millimetres expected to fall in some areas. Canberra has already exceeded its average rainfall average for March. |
Water water everywhere ... the rain gauge has already overflowed and my 'unofficial' gauges, the wheelbarrow by the shed and the dinghy tied to the jetty, are near to overflowing.
All that water tripped the electrical power supply to the Cottage and caused us quite a stir as we're expecting guests today. We'd already emailed them to say that it has been raining non-stop for the last three days and they'd be better off staying where they are but there was no reply.
Assuming that the guests are still arriving today, I set to work tracing the fault which was quite an interesting (and wet) exercise as the power supply runs from the house to the cottage to the cottage bathroom and laundry. It's all fixed now and the cottage has power, the bathroom has hot water, and the water pump is working.
And all the time the rain keeps falling ...
