‘Sea of water’ near Gunnedah from rain event

More rain this week has farmers worried about already saturated ground after more than 120mm was recorded in the Gunnedah district last weekend.

It follows a deluge last Friday night and early Saturday that drenched large parts of the Gunnedah district and the state’s north west.

By official figures, Gunnedah recorded 78mm of rain in 24 hours to 9am Saturday, followed by a further 48mm to 9am Sunday.

South of Gunnedah, Grahame Pryor recorded more than 100mm or about four inches in the old scale, overnight Friday.

“All night, it never let up,” Mr Pryor said.

The landholder on Trinkey Forest Road said while much of his property soaked up most of the excess water – the immediate effect of heavy downpour was significant.

“It was just a sea of water,” he said.

Mr Pryor runs a mixed cropping and cattle operation and was fortunate to have sown oats well before last week’s rain.

He was worried, however, about the prospect of further rainfall in the district this week dumping more water on already saturated ground.

The farmer said the prospect could be even more threatening for others in the area, some who he heard had recorded five inches in last week’s rain event.

The downpour led to flash flooding in many parts of the Gunnedah district throughout the weekend.

Early on Saturday, the NSW State Emergency Service issued flood advice for low lying areas of Namoi River at Gunnedah.

A ‘Watch and Act’ warning was later issued for Gunnedah, stating the river could reach the minor flood level of 7.3m.

The river height eventually peaked near 6m, under the minor flood level, on Monday afternoon before falling.

Earlier in the weekend, the Kamilaroi Highway was closed between Curlewis and Willow Tree due to flooding, as was Wandobah-Preston Road at the turn off to Curliewis and Grain Valley Way.

Water over the road was also reported on the Kamilaroi Highway north of Gunnedah.

Cox’s Creek at Boggabri rose more than three metres in a matter of hours on Saturday.

Narrabri Shire Council closed its entire unsealed road network due to flooding, before the Newell Highway between Coonabarabran and Narrabri was shut about lunchtime Saturday. Low lying properties were impacted in Narrabri from flash flooding and an evacuation centre established for residents effected.

A ‘Watch and Act’ warning for flash flooding in Narrabri and Boggabri was downgraded on Wednesday.

Tt Gunnedah, the warning was at ‘Advice’ level. This included Carroll village and low lying areas along the Namoi River, who were told to monitor conditions.