The Wilsons River has broken its levee of 10.6m, sending floodwaters surging into Lixjmtzywsmore for the second time this month.
Residents were ordered to evacuate their homes quickly overnight, just hours after being given the all clear to return after an earlier evacuation order.
Around 12.30am on Wednesday, residents of the Lismore CBD, Lismore Basin and low-lying areas of East Lismore and Girards Hill were ordered to evacuate.
Lismore Mayor Steve Krieg reported the moment the levee overflowed around 8.30am while live on Channel 7’s Sunrise morning show.
The NSW SES reported intense rainfall and embedded thunderstorms overnight in Lismore’s CBD and across the coastal fringe of the Northern Rivers, leading to flash flooding.
The Bureau of Meteorology revised its flood warning with fears that the Lismore levee would exceed its maximum level of 10.6m before 9am.
“I’m standing at the levee wall right now because we are about half a metre away from overtopping the levee and flooding our town for the second time of the month,” Mr Krieg told Sunrise.
“When it gets to 10.6, we are buggered here.”
Emergency services ordered residents to evacuate the same areas by 4pm on Tuesday.
By 6pm, residents of the CBD and low-lying parts of Billinudgel and Mullumbimby were allowed to return home with caution after rivers fell below minor flood levels.
NSW SES is advising residents in the following locations to evacuate due to rising floodwaters: Tumbulgum, Tygalgah, Murwillumbah, Condong and low-lying parts of Kyogle.
Residents are advised to stay with friends or family or head to the evacuation centre at Southern Cross University in Lismore.
“We’re likely to see more evacuation warnings for communities out this morning in some of the Northern Rivers districts,” Ms Hogan said.
