A search is underway near Sawtell on the mid north coast for a woman and child, believed to have been swept away in flood waters late this afternoon.
Up to 4,000 people are isolated tonight around Bellingen and Coffs Harbour as flash flooding washed cars from roads and inundated dozens of homes.
And just south of Coffs Harbour a man was rescued from the roof of his four-wheel-drive .
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and has anyone mentioned the fact that all students and staff, and some parents at Bishop Druitt College are flooded in. That means there are over 1000 people ranging from kindergarten to year 12 in isolation.
i hope everyone is ok down there. as thats my home town. i only just moved out of coffs 3 mths ago. i have family and friends there. at this stage they are safe. im worried about my friend as she cannot get onto he ex as he has their baby and she is stuck at hospital with her son. i do hope she gets onto him just to make sure she is ok.
There hasn’t been enough information on the flash flooding, i thought i was doing the right thing by driving along hogbin drive to return to my home in sawtell at approxiamately 4:15pm today as radio reports advised that coffs city was flooded and to avoid the area, but there were no warnings that i would have to drive through water along hogbin drive. The water in the first instance was up to the top of the wheel guard and then again approx 2-3 kms further on the water was up to the top of my bonnet to the point my headlights were blown. I had my 3 young children in the car and three emergency service vehicles past us heading in the opposite direction without warning anyone of the danger that was ahead. I was so scared that i asked my 11yr old to climb into the backseat between her two brothers (3 &18mths) who were strapped into car seats just in case they needed to be freed. There was no warning at all along this road, the water was moving quickly across the road and by the time we hit the first flooded part of the road i realised soon after i had no choice but to continue as we were between two flooded areas. If you turned around and attempted to head back to Coffs you would still have to drive through water. I am amazed that there were no Emergency vehicles or police that past letting vehicles know of the danger that was ahead, especially for those of us not in 4wd.
Hundreds of people cannot get to their homes at North Coffs, with roads cut at Shepherds Lane and Bray St, because of the rain and the rising Coffs Creek.
It really is a once in century storm and its far from over. A lot of houses have been flooded all around town
Obviously there was no work done after the last ‘1 in 100’ year storms 12 yrs ago….. wouldn’t it have been wise to try and improve the drainage. Seems all the same spots are flooding again. I feel sorry for all those affected.
I agree with RP about the lack of information, my friend went down the link road from Coffs to Sawtell because she heard the highway was flooded, she found herself in deep floodwater with no warning and her engine went, so she had to abandon the car in the middle of the road and get a friend to collect her. Last I spoke to her, she still hadn’t’ managed to get the NRMA out, not surprising as they must have had hundreds of callouts in this area. Better information please, Coffs/Sawtell police!
How in the council was the bright spark that put the hospital in a swamp / floodzone as people can not get in or out when we get a bit of rain that is staff and visitors even ambulances could not get though what a joke
10pm: Most roads, barring some places on the highway, are open again. We were able to drop ppl home in town, Coffs Harbour. West High st flooding is down also.
I have not heard much about the floods in coffs harbour, my hometown until last year. I have had to find out all about it from Facebook updates. I am hopeful that my mum & don are ok with water coming in their house in melittas ave. I agree with MC and was there in the last flood in 1996, it was horrible & would like to send my thoughts and prayers out to all my family & friends in coffs who are affected again & hope they are all safe.
Does anyone know if it is flooded in the High-Tech Drive industrial site? I have 1/3 of my stock for an online store in there in a storage unit and I see Links drive is flooded. Anyone help??
I was at Bishop Druitt College from 2.30 til 9 pm tonight (got stuck trying to pick my kids up )and I only have the the highest praise for the fantastic staff there looking after virtually the whole school stranded there. They provided fantastic food and care for all the children – I was so proud of them and I hope all the parents are aware that their kids are being well looked after. WIth the roads so dangerous it wa difficult for parents to pick their kids up, I was lucky to get home and I hope they all have a safe and restful night there.
@ Kat:
Yeah, I’m pretty sure hi-tech was under. It usually goes under.
I was stranded at my work on park avenue until 9:30pm and my car was more than half underwater in the car park.
Oh no!! Of course I’m not venturing there tomorrow to find out either, not with my kids! It is awful what is happening. My hubby works for the SES and he has some stories to tell. He said most of the Harbour Drive business district centre of town is under water (or was I think it has subsided a bit now).
Sawtell coaches drove through water about 1 metre high and then dropped off a bus full of kids at Nana Glen at 4:30pm even though they lived at Glenreagh (15 kilometres away). The bus left leaving the primary and high school kids cold, wet and very worried. Luckily locals began organsing places to stay for the night. When we rang the parents of the 8 year old boy from Glenreagh to tell them he was staying with us they were shocked to know that he had been left at Nana Glen which is cut off and may be for days. They like other parents had rang the coach company at 12:00 to tell them to get the kids home. The boys parents sounded obviously distressed and were concerned about whether their son would be safe in these strangers house for the night. These kids should never have been left to fend for themselves. I understand Coffs and other places had flooding but the rivers out here (Orara and Nana creek) cause major flooding and flood many metres (10m) above the road in places and don’t go down in a hurry.
11pm – Still raining heavy – highest flood I’ve seen out here (30 years)
I hope my parents is ok! mum has diabetes & needs insulin injections & she is trapped @ work Gasweld coffs harbour still they have got customers staying @ the shop overnight all have gone hungry tonight Gasweld coffs harbour is doing well by telling the customers & others that they are more than welcome to stay till they can leave in the morning.
My daughter attends Narranga Primary School which was also affected by this flood. Unlike Bishop Druitt, Narranga wasn’t just cut off but had a flash flood go straight through the whole school. I was told by one of the teachers that the kids were raced to the higher ground(library) when they realised the waters were rising and ten minutes later they were surrounded by a torrent of flood water. Parents pickingup their kids were walking through waist deep water at the school gates. The first I knew of any flooding was when my daughter didn’t arrive at my work at her usual time. I headed to the school and was met with flood water at every turn. Some places the water was over head high. The school phones weren’t working and SES, radio and police could notprovideme with any further information untill some 3 hours later when we heard that they were going to try and evacuate the kids to the Ex Services. They managed to bus the kids out through still high flood waters to safety. We didn’t get home till 10.30pm, but left behind at the Ex Service are a lot of young kids with their teachers and not a lot of parents. I have never been so scared for one of my kids.I am glad my boys go to Jetty High and I was ablt topick them up. My heart goes out to all who are seperated from their loved ones tonight.
No golf tomorrow in Sawtell. I work at the Sawtell golf club,here we are playing pool and a couple of beers. Why? cause where stuck. It is still pouring rain and the tree’s on the corse are slowly going further and furthur under I advise no-one Drive down Bayldon Rd Sawtell cause you will not get through and from what i have heard becarefull driving around Lyons Rd and Toormina Rd as there are cars everywhere in every direction. I was born and raised here and i have never seen anything like this in the past 27yrs….
Has anyone heard anything about the woman and child missing near sawtell as per the above report? I have not heard anything on the radio or news.
Checked out the Hi-Tech drive and while a lot around the area has been affected by the floods, my storage unit was safe. Woohoo. Sorry to hear what everyone is going through. A lot of the other schools are closed or on minimal supervision as it seems there are a lot of people still being affected. Haven’t heard any more news on woman and child missing either. Stay safe everyone xx Kat
Yes, lack of info! We were going to Bunnings at 3:40 (to get wet weather gear to dig drainage) and the lone council worker on the roundabout trying to stop people going Nth directed us there not realising it was flooded. Chaos! Poor people trying to get cars etc out. We (tiny daughter and I) quickly tried Toormina Shops, were asked to leave Coles b/c of flooding but amazingly Kmart etc weren’t evacuated as well- I hope they got out b/c we barely made it out of the flooded carpark. At Kmart b4 we left we heard the Uni and Boambee had been cut off- couldn’t get my partner & possibly my baby son. That was in the space of about an hour. At 4ish the water at the Uni had been well below max pond level. Thru deep water go to son- outside of centre flooded. Had to leave 3 year old in locked car by herself with hazards on as I couldn’t risk trying to carry both. Worst 5 mins of life. Got son but then car immobiliser wet and couldn’t turn alarm off/ start! Hopscotch staff so wonderful!! Fed, clothed, cared for, driven home! So grateful!! But partner locked in Uni til midnight! Mbl network down, car graveyards.
Thanks for the info Kat.
I’m interstate but have a lot of stuff at Davis Self Storage Hi-Tech drive, do you know if it went under or is it the one you refer to. Info appreciated.
At Bishop druitt school was canceled today, and yr 12 examinations postponed, and tomorows have been aswell but will school run as normal tomorow?
Yep mine is at David Alarmed as well. I took a drive there myself this afternoon and it seems it might have been the surrounding places that were affected, no evidence at the storage unit at all. Very impressed! Especially considering the WHOLE of Hogbin drive must have gone under as it was a big mess with cars still abandoned everywhere, not to mention how much of a mess Bishop Druit looked. So think yours at Davids will be find too. Was no activity and didn’t looked water damaged at all. : -)
Oops meant to say ‘fine’ not find haha
Thank you again Kat,
You’ve taken a weight off my mind. Being a Coffs resident my thoughts are with all those affected.
I moved from Macksville in 2004 and had attended Bishop Druitt previously. I remember almost having to evacuate in order to get home with a previous flood in 2004. It wasn’t the case but they do have a plan in place in case of this sort of situation. I am sure all the students and staff are doing great and as I have friends there I just want to say be safe everyone and don’t do walking through the water like the reporter on Channel ten 5 o’clock news was at bellingen
Good work all the SES, Police, Ambulance crew & others helping out
it was treable i lost my home in it and the gov is not paying for demished goods.
my mum got her car flooded last year at the club coffs thankyou for listening and i reckon that nrma should of paid people instead of andrew fraser stepped in and helped the flood vicitims
My house got flooded at the back room and the lounge room. We got about 3 sand bags and that was the minimum of them, it was ricdilious.There was an argument beetwen the council and us and our neighbour. THANKS
our house flooded in difficultly damage
hay my name is clare and my house got flooded in and i hate the councile for puting 2 nursing home right in front of our house and our next door neighbours and that is were our water that we get flooded with is there because of that and my house the back room and the loungeroom got flooded in to so tear or and my school got flooded and the people that were left couse thay were going home on the bell were left and got taken to the RSL and had dinner there and some of them even had to stay to 11 in the morning couse thereb parents were traped and i no that couse my friend was one but not me and 1 day after that my arnty and uncle came to see if we were all ok and we said yes then like 3 days after that we all went to school well i did couse every one else came back about 1 day latder but could not couse i had to clean up so the our school had a clean up wene it was shinny and sunny and that dat was of couse the day i came back i wish i could of staid at home one more day i even begged my mum but no it is a shinny sunny day ao thene i even said yes so tear it feels like i am wrighting a story and by the way i 109 years old and i am going to lete you go now so thanks for listing and i will be wrighting wenen it floods next time couse as you can see i have already rote about the floods so thnakes bye bye bye bye bye clare pemberton reporting life from her bedroom so thanks again i meen it this time seeya bye bye bye bye bye bye mi hommis and cute bye bye bye$$