Palegoldenrod

Apparently the worst of the flooding is over at Singleton – water levels have peaked and are very slowly on the way down.

My brother Nathan is still in the floodplains at Branxton – a few blocks from Anvil Creek which has broken its banks. He is preparing to move his wife and young son to higher ground (up to our parents on the hill a few kilometres away). When I spoke to him earlier today he said that the Anvil Creek bridge is closed (which divides Branxton in two) and Elderslie road is cut, but at last check you could still get out to the back of Elderslie road via McMullins road and Rusty Lane.

He went out to check the water at the Hunter River at Elderslie Bridge, and the water is not far from touching the bottom of the bridge. And that was this morning – even though Singleton is receding, all that water is making its way down past Branxton to Maitland, so I suspect that the Elderslie Bridge will go under (if it hasn’t already).

ABC’s 1233AM radio is broadcasting that access to Branxton through Maitland and Singleton are both cut due to flood waters, so I think old Branxton is a little isolated at the moment.

Maitland has had properties inside the first levee evacuated. The first levee is at 11.35m, and peak is expected to be 11.3m. It is going to be very close, and I wouldn’t be surprised if parts of that levee are breached. Louth park and low lying areas of Gilleston Heights have been evacuated. I’m wondering how Telarah, and the lower parts of Rutherford are – and Lorn.

Paterson is also having an interesting time of it – farmers that were just a week or two ago struggling to deal with drought are now looking at the possibility of having crops and feed – even stock and their homes – under water.

I think Maitland is going to be hit fairly badly, so hopefully the warning we have had is sufficient. At least with the slow rising floods we have a chance to get in and evacuate – the flash flooding didn’t really give anyone warning around here.

The rain and wind has stopped (at least in Newcastle itself) so fingers crossed that we can manage the Maitland floods (and what happens when all that water comes further downstream) – no more surprises please.

Some photos of the flooding (including some from Maitland and Branxton) can be found at http://www.abc.net.au/newcastle/stories/s1947168.htm