Floods isolate northern NSW residents

The 500 residents of Bellinger Valley in northern NSW have been isolated by flood waters as rain continues to fall across the state.
A State Emergency Service (SES) spokesman said people living upstream of the town of Thora had been cut off by three metre flood water.


The situation is being closely monitored and what action is taken will depend on
whether there is heavy rainfall on Sunday, the spokesman said.
"That area gets flooded every year or two," the spokesman said.
"Most people are prepared and stock up pretty well. It might however mean a day off
school for the kids."
The town of Goodooga, on the Queensland border, is also being closely watched and
"may have an isolation issue", the spokesman said.
There has also been localised flooding in some parts of the Hunter Valley region and
around Port Macquarie on the mid-north coast.
The SES said the clean up continues at Bourke after record rainfall flooded the far
western NSW town over the weekend.
A record 200mm fell at the northwest town in the 24 hours until 9am (AEDT) on
Saturday, pooling behind the levy bank which protects the town when the river
floods.
The township had been isolated but the SES said the Byrock Road has now reopened.
There have been 25 reports of homes being affected by water damage and some minor
damage to local infrastructure.
The flooding in the town was not caused by the Darling River overflowing, but rather
from pumps and the storm water system being inundated with water.
The SES said the rain is expected to hang around NSW until at least Wednesday, with
heavy downpours expected in Sydney on Tuesday.