Peak passes Hay but downstream on alert
The Murrumbidgee River peaked at Hay last Wednesday November 16 at a height of 9.11 metres. The height was just below the expected peak of 9.20 metres, and at the time of writing (Monday November 21) the recorded height was 8.73 metres and falling.
The river height hovered above the 9 metre mark for several days, receding very slightly at each reading provided to The Riverine Grazier by Hay State Emergency Services (SES). Despite the current alert easing, sandbagging efforts have continued to ensure enough stocks are available to shore up the town levees that encircle Hay.
A breach was detected in the levee near the cemetery late last Monday night, and volunteers responded to support SES and Hay Shire Council to fill many pallets of sandbags which were rushed to the site.
Mayor Carol Oataway offered her thanks by way of a social media post: “A huge shout out to Council crews, SES, Fire Brigade, RFS (Rural Fire Service) and volunteer sandbaggers. Working around the clock!”
Another community-led initiative saw donations of coffee, food and drinks being supplied to the volunteers at the sandbagging station on Dunera Way. With water slowly receding at Hay township the focus has now shifted to the stricken villages of Maude and Oxley, which remain isolated due to rising flood waters.
The Hay Plains have received national media attention, with commentators describing the Hay Plains as an ‘inland sea.’ The images captured by Karen Nisbet, as she worked with SES to deliver sandbags to Maude, of waters as far as the eye can see, have gone viral across the globe.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM)predicts the Murrumbidgee River at Balranald Weir Downstream may reach around 7.30 metres today (Wednesday) with major flooding. On the Lachlan River Hillston is subjected to a Watch and Act alert, issued by the SES over the weekend.
Major flooding is occurring at Hillston and minor flooding continues at Booligal. According to the BoM the Lachlan River at Hillston Weir may reach 3.50 metres in early December, with major flooding, higher than the August 1990 flood level. The Lachlan River at Booligal Weir may reach around 3.40 metres around mid-December, similar to the 1956 flood level.
South of Hay, parts of Deniliquin have been evacuated, as the Edward River threatens homes. Moulamein was ordered to evacuate on Monday
DO NOT drive through flood waters
A family travelling from South Australia is lucky to be alive after driving their vehicle through floodwaters near Maude. Hays’ Emergency Service - SES, RFS and Police were alerted to a vehicle which had gone off the road in flood waters some 40 kms west of Hay on the Maude Road around 1am on Sunday morning.
SES responded with two vehicles, including a high clearance Unimog which is specifically designed for flood rescue work. RFS responded in two heavy fire trucks to assist. The family was able to get themselves out of the car and waded through the water which in some places was knee high.
They were loaded into the rear cabin of the fire truck and transported to Hay Hospital for assessment for hypothermia as they had been in the elements for some four hours. The family had been following Google maps which took them from Balranald to Oxley along the back dirt road and then heading to Hay. Prior to leaving the road in deep water, they negotiated considerable water over the road and chose to continue into deeper water before coming to grief.
“A reminder, if its flooded forget it, these people were extremely lucky to have survived the ordeal,” an SES spokesperson said.
The SES Unimog had been through the flood waters on the Maude Road several times over the last week, undertaking reconnaissance and delivering pallets of sandbags and to Maude and Oxley to protect properties. A total of 10 pallets of sandbags had
