Thousands still isolated by floods in NSW

10 Feb 2012, 7:28 pm   -   Source: AAP
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Some 7,000 people are isolated by floodwaters in northern NSW, but the figure is expected to surpass 10,000 with a massive body of water heading south.

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Some 7,000 people are isolated by floodwaters in northern NSW, but the figure is expected to surpass 10,000 with a massive body of water heading south.

Flooding has also hit the state's south with State Emergency Services (SES) deluged with 450 calls for assistance after parts of western Sydney and the Illawarra experienced flash flooding caused by heavy rain on Thursday night.

All up the SES said it had received more than 7000 flood-related calls for help across the state.

"We've got an area nearly the size of England and Ireland being impacted by flood in the north," State Emergency Services (SES) Assistant Commissioner Murray Kear told reporters.

"Down in the south, many rivers are on a flood watch and now, as we've seen, the Sydney metropolitan area and surrounds are also experiencing the impact of these weather events."

The SES said the massive body of water moving from the north of the state was expected to continue for two months, isolating towns and communities along its path.

Towns isolated by the floodwaters could remain cut off for up to six weeks.

Goodooga, Mungindi and Lightning Ridge were currently bearing the brunt of the south-moving floodwaters, which are expected to reach the town of Menindee near Broken Hill between late March and early April.

"It really is quite a significant protracted event of an extremely large body of water moving across the state," Mr Kear told reporters on Friday.

But relief may be in sight for flood-sodden towns.

Bureau of Meteorology spokesman Barry Hanstrum said the rain was likely to ease in the next 48 hours after deluging the state over the past few weeks.

"Indications are that there will be an improving trend in the weather as get toward the end of the weekend," he said.

The south coast of NSW will have to brave one more night of rainfall with 50 to 100 millimetres predicted in isolated spots overnight.

"The weather pattern that has caused the heavy rain in the last 24 hours is persisting and is likely to result in some heavy falls particularly in the southeast parts of the state," Mr Hanstrum said.

The State Emergency Management Committee, which includes representatives from all NSW emergency services, held an emergency meeting with flood relief agencies in Sydney on Friday to discuss plans to prepare towns across NSW for the predicted floodwaters moving south.

"(The committee) is planning as to how we can best deal, or best help people to cope with this emergency," Assistant Police Commissioner, Mark Murdoch said.

"A lot of communities will be isolated, some communities will need to be evacuated.

"It is a significant welfare issue, emotionally and physically, for those people.

"This is a big deal for New South Wales."

Twenty-seven helicopters have been deployed across the northern part of NSW to supply communities already affected by floodwaters.

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