Torrential rains and high winds have caused havoc around the Central Coast over the past week, with road closures and storm damage rife.
As a result, a natural disaster was declared by the state government on Wednesday evening May 21.
The declaration means residents and businesses affected by the weather can access emergency funds for essential structural repairs, emergency accommodation, emergency loans and assistance in replacement of essential items.
More information on disaster assistance can be found here: NSW Government assistance and Federal Government assistance.
State Emergency Services was inundated with hundreds of calls in the seven days to May 21.
Gosford SES Unit Commander Phil Whitmore said Wyong and Gosford units had received around 400 calls between them in the past week, with the vast majority of them (around 350) since Sunday, May 18, when 130mm of rain was recorded over an eight-hour period.
“Most of the calls have been in relation to fallen trees, requests for sandbagging, flood rescues and evacuations,” he said.
Whitmore said the SES remained ready to respond, with more rain predicted through until the coming weekend.
“We have also sent crews north to help Taree and the mid-north coast, which have been heavily impacted,” he said.
“Hopefully we won’t see a repeat of Sunday night, when rains were unexpectedly severe.
“We’ve seen flooding in areas such as Narara and Lisarow which we haven’t seen since 2007.”
As we went to press, properties in the Dooralong and Yarramalong valleys remained isolated and rising levels on the Tuggerah Lakes were impacting areas such as Chittaway Point.
Central Coast councillors met on May 20 for a briefing on flood risk management and were told the region has to adopt a Flood Risk Management Policy under NSW local government legislation.
It currently has different flooding assessment levels for the north and south of the Central Coast.
Councillors were told the two previous councils, Wyong and Gosford, had “two wildly different” approaches that need now to be harmonised.
The policy is expected to come to the June meeting of Council.
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