Multiple catchments holding months of heavy rainfall paint an unfortunate picture of continued flooding for regional communities in Australian states of New South Wales (NSW), Victoria and South Australia.
As NSW enters the 74th day of its flood crisis, dozens of emergency warnings remain in place on Sunday across Australia’s east and flood peaks continue to wreak havoc around inland rivers.
Locals have pulled together to protect their homes and keep the beers flowing in the tiny NSW town of Moulamein despite the swollen Edward River cutting all access roads and isolating the community.
Residents were told to shelter in place on Tuesday by the State Emergency Service, with the river reaching 6.2 metres and continuing to rise on Saturday night.
It’s expected the tiny town of about 500 will remain cut off through to December.
“People are working day and night to put levees around their houses and along the banks of the river so their houses don’t get flooded,” Tamara Lee from the Moulamein Bowling Club told AAP.
Despite the flooding, the bowls club has remained open with plenty of beer on hand, Lee said.
“I’ve got a few farmers that have been working all night. For them we’re pretty much just staying open.”
Overnight, NSW SES performed one flood rescue and fielded 90 requests for assistance after it had issued a dozen emergency warnings including for renewed flooding in Condobolin and Euabalong.
The Lachlan River has slowly begun to fall but remains above record levels set in 1952.
Flooding is also impacting the nearby towns of Jemalong and Hillston, where water is not expected to recede until next week.
The far west towns of Hay and Balranald towards the Victorian border have also been hit with major floods, with the Murrumbidgee River set to peak next week.
A dozen emergency warnings were in place in NSW on Saturday afternoon, while 71 areas were the subject of watch-and-act alerts.
Victorians living around parts of the Murray River have also been told to prepare to evacuate as a peak approaches the northwestern towns of Colignan, Nangiloc, Iraak and Lambert Island.
“Flooding will last for many weeks in this area, as the Murray River will rise, peak and fall very slowly,” the VicEmergency said on Saturday.
Major flooding is also occurring on the Murray at Boundary Bend above the historic levels seen in 1975.
In SA, flood warnings have also been issued for parts of the upper and lower Murray River.
The river is expected to hit an early peak in December, before peaking again at higher levels towards Christmas.
