Torrential rains have lashed New South Wales, unleashing a flood emergency that has plunged parts of the state into chaos. In Sydney, the deluge has crippled transport networks, forced evacuations, and isolated entire communities. As the Vivid Sydney lights festival prepares to launch, residents and authorities face a much darker reality — one of rising waters, disrupted lives and a monumental response effort underway.
Graphic by The Guardian. Data from the Bureau of Meteorology. Visit the NSW SES website for the latest emergency updates. [The Guardian]
Transport Paralysed as Sydney Drenched
The heaviest rain in months — over 200mm in Richmond, 90mm in Camden, and more than 75mm at Sydney Airport — has inundated roadways and rail lines. In the Blue Mountains, Katoomba copped over 50mm, with forecasts warning of another 100mm expected within 24 hours.
Sydney’s transport system, already struggling after a recent power line incident, has ground to a halt. Flooding on the Airport and South Line between Revesby and Turrella, and a landslip between Newcastle and Morisset on the Central Coast Line, brought services to a standstill. Commuters were left stranded, with limited buses replacing trains and significant delays across the Leppington, Inner West, Illawarra, and South Coast lines.
Ferry services have also been suspended, including those on the Parramatta River, while road closures span from Sydney to the Mid-North Coast and Hunter regions. Transport for NSW has urged anyone heading into the city for Vivid to allow extra travel time and stay up to date via transport apps.
SES Responds to Escalating Crisis
With over 50,000 people cut off by floodwaters, the NSW State Emergency Service (SES) is coordinating one of its most widespread flood responses in recent memory. Currently, there are 160 active warnings, including 37 at the Emergency level.
Chief Superintendent Dallas Burnes stressed the need for caution. “We’re urging the community to be careful. Please wait until we lift evacuation warnings. Roads may look safe but could be dangerously compromised beneath the surface,” he said.
So far, 736 flood rescues have been recorded — 177 of those in just the past 24 hours — with over 2,400 SES and inter-agency personnel deployed across the state. Efforts are concentrated on the Mid-North Coast, where crews are delivering vital resupplies by vehicle, boat, and even helicopter.
Tragically, a 49-year-old man from Nymboida remains missing after last being seen crossing a flooded causeway, prompting an urgent search effort by the SES and NSW Police.
Communities Isolated and Homes at Risk
Fifteen communities remain cut off from the outside world, including Taree, Kempsey, Gloucester, and Dungog. The story is the same across many of these towns: submerged paddocks, power outages, and critical food and fodder shortages.
For cattle farmer Troy Irwin from Lower Macleay, the situation is dire. “It’s catastrophic,” he said, recounting how he had to swim his stallion and pony to safety. His wife was rescued by SES crews, and his property is surrounded by knee-deep water. “I’ve been covered in spiders, beetles, no snakes this time, but it’s overwhelming.”
Veteran dairy farmer Gary Eichmann from Bellingen echoed the sentiment. “You get to an age where you wonder why you do it. The paddocks look green, but there’s nothing there. We’ve lost half our production.”
Wildlife and Farming Devastated
It’s not just people who are feeling the brunt of the floods. Aussie Ark, a wildlife sanctuary and breeding facility for Tasmanian devils, is in crisis after its roads and fences were destroyed. The sanctuary has issued a public plea for assistance to relocate animals and ensure food security.
Meanwhile, Aussie Hay Runners, a charity delivering fodder to affected farms, has struggled to get supplies through floodwaters. “We’re inundated with requests for help, but we just can’t get anything out there at the moment,” said founder Linda Widdup.
Calls for Proactive Climate Resilience
Amid the devastation, experts are warning against treating events like this as one-off disasters. Professor Paula Jarzabkowski from the University of Queensland called for a fundamental shift in how flood recovery funds are used. “We need to stop thinking of these events as unprecedented and start investing in disaster prevention,” she said, advocating for raised or retrofitted housing and potential buyback schemes in unviable areas.
Leadership and Relief on the Ground
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and NSW Premier Chris Minns toured flood-affected Maitland on Friday, meeting with SES crews and pledging support. Emergency funding is reportedly on its way, while the NSW Reconstruction Authority has urged the public to donate through official channels like GIVIT to ensure resources are properly distributed.
The Road Ahead
Though skies may begin to clear, the threat remains. Rivers across the Manning and Hunter are still swollen, and many roads remain impassable. Authorities insist residents wait for the all-clear before returning home.
As NSW grapples with the ongoing crisis, one thing is clear: the scale of the flooding, and the resilience of the people and volunteers responding to it, will not be forgotten any time soon.
