21.03.2021
3 min read

Penrith residents urged to flee to safety or they will become trapped without power, water

Water is already entering the rear of properties along Ladbury Avenue.

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Parts of Western Sydney have been issued evacuation orders after Nepean River levels rose to a 60-year high.

Evacuation orders were issued to residents in western parts of Penrith on Sunday afternoon. SES told those in the area leave using the Memorial Avenue onto the Great western highway onto Victoria Bridge towards Emu Plains.

“Water is already entering the rear of properties along Ladbury Avenue”, the evacuation order said.

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The evacuation is for all properties within the area bounded by the Nepean River, south of the Great Western Highway and west of Peach Tree Creek.

This includes Captains Road; Fitch Avenue; Ladbury Avenue; Memorial Avenue; Nepean Avenue; and Recreation Avenue.

Heavy flooding is seen in the Sydney suburb of Schofields on March 20, 2021 in Schofields, Australia. Credit: Brook Mitchell/Getty Images

The evacuation is also for all properties within the area of all the properties in the immediate vicinity of Cables Wake Park. The area bounded by Nepean River, Jamison Road and Peach Tree Creek.

Residents have been told to move personal possessions to a safe place.

Once floodwater reaches 7.96m the Great Western Highway Evacuation Route will be cut.

SES said any who remains in the area after 4:30pm may become trapped without power, water and other essential services and it may be too dangerous to be rescued.

There were similar orders issued for residents within the western part of Jamisontown. Those in the area have been told to evacuate the high danger area using the Great Western Highway Evacuation Route.

A flood rescue team prepares for a potentially busy afternoon at the Penrith branch of the SES. Credit: Brook Mitchell/Getty Images
The rain and flooding in NSW has caused "unforeseen supply delays" for the COVID vaccine rollout. Credit: AAP

The order is for properties in Jamison road, Surveyors Creek, Blaikie Road, Rear of Penrith Homemaker Centre, Western Motorway and Nepean River.

The Bureau of Meterology had warned of rising river levels at Penrith earlier in the day.

“River levels at Penrith have risen faster than previously expected and river height predictions have therefore been increased,” BOM said in a statement.

“The Nepean River at Penrith may reach around 10 metres at 9pm on Sunday with moderate flooding.

“Further rises to the major flood level are possible.”

Premier Gladys Berejiklian warned that more evacuations were expected in the coming days as the state braces for more heavy rain.

“It’s the sustained rainfall, the fact that weather event has settled in, it’s not moving,” she told reporters during an emergency press conference on Sunday.

PENRITH, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 20: People watch as cars drive through flood waters on March 20, 2021 in Pitt Town, Australia. Heavy rain and flooding has trigger evacuations on the New South Wales mid coast with over 120mm rain expected for Sydney and residents urged to stay at home. (Photo by Brook Mitchell/Getty Images) Credit: Brook Mitchell/Getty Images
Multiple roads in Greater Sydney and across regional NSW are closed due to flooding. Credit: AAP

“We cannot underestimate the ferocity of these weather conditions. We have gone from extreme bushfire to extreme flood.”

Bureau of Meteorology flood operations manager Justin Robinson warned this will be “one of the biggest floods we will see for a very long time”.

“Just to give you some context around that, it is bigger than the February 2020 flood. It is bigger than the 1988 flood. It is bigger than the 1990 flood and is bigger than the 1964 flood.”

Disaster declarations were made for 16 local council areas - from Coffs Harbour and Grafton areas in northern NSW into the west to Cessnock and Dungog, and to the Central Coast.

The declarations allow residents affected by these floodwaters to begin to receive assistance.

In the 24 hours to 9am Sunday Comboyne Public School had seen 249mm of rainfall, Stonequarry Creek at Picton had seen 198mm, Koree Island had seen 186mm, Oakdale had seen 180mm and Palm Grove had seen 177mm.

There had been almost 7000 SES call-outs since Thursday, 74 flood rescues.

A house submerged all the way up to its roof. Credit: Twitter
Port Macquarie. Credit: Twitter

But experts are warning there is worse to come as a coastal trough lingers over NSW.

Forecasters are predicting heavy falls to continue across NSW until at least Wednesday, including warnings that flash flooding may endure.

Inland NSW will also be hit by severe rain from Monday, with the NSW northwest slopes and plains likely to be worst affected.

There are evacuation orders for multiple towns near the Hawkesbury River including Pitt Town Bottoms, Pitt Town North, Cornwallis, North Richmond, Grono’s Point, Freemans Reach and Agnes Banks.

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