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Crews assess damage after Riverina flash floods

Monday March 8, 2010 - 10:00 EDT

encroaching water - Murrumbidgee River - ABC

Bowling green swimming pool - ABC

Emergency crews have begun assessing the damage caused by flash flooding which swept across the southern part of New South Wales on Sunday.

Wagga Wagga had more than 100 millimetres of rain - more than double the March average in one day.

The State Emergency Service (SES) and police responded to calls across the Riverina, while 85 army personnel helped with sandbagging properties in Wagga Wagga.

The main railway line between Sydney and Melbourne was damaged near Junee and XPT passengers had to transfer to buses.

Four motorists were stranded near Narrandera and one driver needed to be rescued near Wagga Wagga.

In the village of Ladysmith, near Wagga, some residents spent the night in an evacuation centre as floodwaters rose from Kyembah creek.

A spokesman for the SES, Phil Campbell says residents will be able to return to their homes later this morning.

"We will be doing further assessments this morning as will council, particularly of road infrastructure," he said.

"We have got a number of rural properties between the village of Ladysmith and heading down to another village called Book Book.

"Those particular properties will be assessed by an overflight and helicopter this morning to see whether there have been any issues both with isolation as well as in damage or loss of access to those properties."

Major roads that were closed at the height of the deluge have now re-opened.

Keith Favell from the SES says the Murrumbidgee River in Wagga Wagga is expected to peak by mid-afternoon at below six metres.

"It won't reach the minor flood level so there'll be no impact on caravan parks and the general public," he said.

"But of course it will have an impact on those rural landowners who have low lying pumps and stock in those areas."

Some parts of the drought-hit eastern Riverina have recorded 200 millimetres of rain in 24 hours.

Borambola farmer Allan Brown says it has been a dream start to autumn.

"It's been magnificent because we've had rain to fill the soil profile and then two weeks time we've had another rain," he said.

"It's just about the best start to an autumn I've ever seen."

- ABC

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