Moree battles worst floods since 1955

3 Feb 2012, 5:23 pm   -   Source: AAP

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About 10,000 people in the northern NSW town of Moree are isolated after the Mehi River peaked at 10.69 metres.

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Relentless floodwaters have turned the northern NSW town of Moree into something resembling Venice, as the town copes with the worst flooding in nearly 60 years.

About 10,000 Moree residents were isolated on Friday after the Mehi River peaked at 10.69 metres, flooding CBD businesses and cutting the town in two.

It is believed to be the highest river peak since February 1955, when State Emergency Service (SES) data shows the Mehi River peaked at 10.85m.

The other major flood event at Moree was in 1976, when the river peaked at 10.6m - lower than Friday's event.

The scene at Moree was more like Venice than rural NSW, with surrounding areas turned into "an inland sea", Premier Barry O'Farrell said after touring the area on Friday with his deputy, Andrew Stoner.

"The town of Moree is inundated with water - so north Moree is not only cut off, but many of the properties there are flooded," Mr O'Farrell said.

"As you fly over the centre of the town there are streets that look like canals that have more relevance to Venice than northwestern NSW.

"It is an extraordinary landscape, but the great thing is resilient residents in the northwest of NSW are getting on with life, and as the mayor (Katrina Humphries) says, will cope."

The SES said Moree was likely to be cut off for at least 24 hours, and the floodwaters were unlikely to recede for days or even weeks.

"The bad news is they say that peak may stay in place for two to three days," Mr O'Farrell said.

"Families, businesses, farmers are suffering and what the SES is saying is that this water is not going to recede in a hurry."

The air force on Friday diverted a Hercules aircraft from a planned training mission to take supplies, including bedding, to the flood-stricken town.

Elsewhere in the state, an estimated 7000 people remained isolated in areas including Wee-Waa, Goodooga, Gravesend and communities on the mid north coast.

SES Commissioner Murray Kear expressed frustration that some people were still ignoring warnings not to enter floodwaters, with emergency services forced to conduct more than 30 rescues in the past week.

"People seem to want to go about their normal business, and they get a mindset that they need to be somewhere," Mr Kear said.

"My constant message is ... never drive, ride or walk through floodwaters. It's just not worth it."

The SES carried out 13 flood rescues in the 12 hours up to 3pm (AEDT) on Friday, including a family of four trapped in their home.

Meanwhile, on Friday afternoon Emergency Services Minister Mike Gallacher extended the natural disaster zone to Gunnedah Shire Council - making Gunnedah the 17th local government area to be declared a natural disaster area as a result of the floods.

Declarations were made earlier this week for the local government areas of Bellingen, Byron, Kyogle, Lismore, Richmond Valley, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Inverell, Nambucca, Kempsey, Tweed Shire, Tenterfield, Greater Taree, Moree, Narrabri and Gwydir.

"We will continue to monitor the situation across northern NSW and offer our support to local communities," Mr Gallacher said in a statement.

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