Byron Bay residents woke up this morning to floodwaters on their doorstep, despite receiving no orders from emergency services to evacuate overnight.
The main road in and out of the popular beachside tourist destination, Bangalow Road is quickly sinking beneath floodwaters.
About 300 millimetres of rain were recorded in Byron in the last 24 hours.
Locals are advised against driving or walking through floodwaters which are already dangerously high.
Ballina Mayor Sharon Cadwallader spoke with 2GB on Wednesday morning about the evolving situation in Byron Bay and Ballina.
“It’s really not safe for people to go out,” Ms Cadwallader said.
“Our localised flooding is not coming from the levees overtopping, it’s coming from what’s falling from the sky, the rain bombs and the heavy wind gusts.”
Byron Mayor Michael Lyon followed on 2GB to say: “People are waking up who have had to sleep in their cars or vans in two feet of water. It’s just devastating.
“We’ve been following it all night. It’s devastating after what we’ve just been through a month ago. It’s hitting different parts of the shire.”
Before and after: Byron residents wake to flash flooding
Richmond federal member Justine Elliot also provided an update from Sydney where she is desperately making arrangements to get back to her electorate.
“As of 5.30am there have been there no mo
re SES warnings for northern NSW, other than Lismore,” she said.
Ms Elliot is calling on local disaster authorities to urgently open evacuation centres in Byron Bay and Ballina.
The Wilsons River has broken its levee of 10.6m, sending floodwaters surging into Lismore 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.
“If we had a crystal ball, then you may make different decisions,” SES acting commissioner Daniel Austin told a press conference on Wednesday morning.
From Evans Head up to Byron Bay, rainfall was recorded at 200 to 300mm an hour, causing dangerous flash flooding in the towns of Ballina and Byron Bay.
“The reality is you make your decisions based on the information that you have at the time, and the information that we have at the time was that the rivers were falling, and that the conditions that we expected were no longer going to present.”
Torrential rain has drenched already saturated soils in the Northern Rivers region over the last 24 hours, leading to flash flooding in parts of the state.
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 parts of the levee began to overtop around 8.30am while live on Channel 7’s Sunrise morning show.
The levee has exceeded its maximum level of 10.6m, and is expected to peak around the 11.5m metre mark in the coming days.
There are currently fourteen evacuation orders and eight evacuation warnings in place from NSW’s mid north coast all the way up to the Byron Bay in the Northern Rivers.
More than 3600 homes are without power at this time as powerlines and trees were brought down by high winds overnight.
The community has been reminded by NSW SES, to avoid moving around the flood zone and not to approach fallen power lines which are assumed to still be live with electricity.
“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.”
The Bureau of Meteorology’s Dean Narramore told reporters a number of towns along the east coast of NSW received more than 100mm of rain an hour in the last 24 hours.
The low pressure system moved into Lismore later in the night, bringing thunderstorms and significant rainfall to the region for the second time this month.
Emergency services ordered residents to evacuate Lismore 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.
Residents are being 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.
The rain has eased in the Northern Rivers, the focus of the rainfall will continue around the mid North Coast.
There is major flooding in Bellingen and Coffs Harbour, where over 300mm of rain has fallen in the last 24 hours.
If you live on or near any river, creeks or streams, the NSW SES advises to please stay up to date and listen to all advice from emergency services.
Current evacuation orders and warnings for NSW:
Evacuation orders
Evacuated by 8am
There is an evacuation centre at the Urunga Golf & Sports Club.
Evacuated by 12pm
There is an evacuation centre at the Coraki United Church
Evacuated by 12pm
There is an evacuation centre at Lennox Head Cultural Centre
Woodburn and Swan Bay
Evacuated by 12pm
There is an evacuation centre at Lennox Head Cultural Centre
Evacuated by 12pm
There is an evacuation centre at Lennox Head Cultural Centre
Newry Island and Yellow Rock
Evacuated by 10.30am
There is an evacuation centre at the Urunga Golf & Spoxjmtzywrts Club.
Evacuated by 9am
There is an evacuation centre at Bellingen High School
Lismore CBD, Lismore Basin and low lying areas of East Lismore and Girards Hill
Evacuated by 3am
There is an evacuation centre at Southern Cross University.
Bellinger River Tourist Park
Evacuated by Tuesday 10.30pm.
Riverside Caravan Park Coraki
Evacuated by Tuesday 7pm
Evacuated by Tuesday 7am
Evacuated by Monday 10pm
Low lying parts of Kyogle
Evacuated by Monday 10pm
Evacuated by Monday 10pm
Evacuation warnings
