No Model T Driving - MAJOR FLOOD in Taree, Australia, Two People Dead

[ModelTMitch]

MAJOR widespread flooding in Taree and surrounding areas, unprecedented rainfall with more heavy rain forecast (as of recording this video).
Definitely NOT Model T driving weather! Over 300mm (12 inches) of rain have fallen on Taree and the Manning Valley in the past 24 hours since posting this. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting continued heavy rainfall over the next couple of days.
The Manning River burst its banks early hours of this morning and has been rising all day, with Martin Bridge and Manning River Drive both closed.

My Rambling Rides video shot today before the road closures captures the flooding at a minor to moderate level...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70qU24RpwPo

The telemetry below shows how the river level has sky-rocketed in a very short time - far exceeding what is considered the "major" flood level - at the time of writing, 5.2 metres (17 feet) above normal low tide level...

Manning River is in an unprecedented state of flood...

Water levels rising, picture taken before road closure due to inundation...

Water levels rising, picture taken before road closure due to inundation...

[John Codman]

We could use a bit of that rain here in Florida, mate.

[TXGOAT2]

With 12" of rain in 24 hours you'd be up to your eyeballs in alligators!

[George House]

They mostly have crocodiles instead of alligators Pat. And, yes, we could use some of that rain here in our Texas drouth. My catfish are getting sunburned.

[ModelTMitch]

1929 flood record annihilated! Manning River at 6.3 metres! This is unprecedented.

New South Wales State Emergency Services personnel have responded to 887 incidents in the 24 hours to Wednesday, including at least 118 flood rescue.

The Manning River on the Mid North Coast is also flooding at a level never seen before at Taree, surpassing the 1929 record level of six metres and is still rising.

Authorities currently have 11 emergency-level alerts in place across the region and in the Hunter, with parts of Taree, Wingham and Glenthorne the areas of most concern.

[ModelTMitch]

Some pictures from around Taree, showing the scale of devastation, never before seen. The great flood of 1929 saw the Manning River rise to 6 metres above normal level. This flood is unprecedented, with the river presently at 6.4 metres and still rising.

[ModelTMitch]

A quick update... The Manning River has flooded the town to a level not seen in almost 100 years. The great flood of 1929 saw the river reach 6 metres (20 feet) above normal level. Today it peaked at 6.4 metres (21 feet). Taree is now completely cut off. Only accessible by boat or helicopter.
Taree has received over 450mm (17 inches) of rain in 24 hours, with more heavy rainfall coming.
Fuel supplies are almost exhausted, electricity is out, food is dwindling, and all roads to the town are blocked by deep water.
TAREE NEEDS A MIRACLE.

[Gene_French]

Mitch:
stay safe ... your 17" of rain in 24 hours is about 1 1/2 years of our annual precipitation ... keep a keen eye for critters of all types ...gene french

[George House]

Good grief !!.. I hope and pray theres no lives lost in that torrential rain. Great reporting Mitch ! We don’t receive important world news “Up Over” unless it’s about war or some US tragedy. Rebuild. Adapt and Overcome.

[ModelTMitch]

Good grief !!.. I hope and pray theres no lives lost in that torrential rain. Great reporting Mitch ! We don’t receive important world news “Up Over” unless it’s about war or some US tragedy. Rebuild. Adapt and Overcome.

Sadly, NSW State Emergency Service did report the loss of one life just outside Taree. The body of a 63 year old man was found in his flooded house by emergency crews who had been called to help. Unfortunately they arrived too late.

[John Codman]

Sorry for your flooding and losses of life. I hope that you are OK.

[Herb Iffrig]

I can appreciate your situation.
In 2022 we had 12.8 inches of rain over night here in St. Peters MO. USA, then a day later after the water went down a little it rained 3 inches more and the level went right back up. I wish well for you and your neighbors. Be careful and pay attention to you surroundings. There are all kinds of danger in floodwater, things you would not suspect.

[Oldav8tor]

Unfortunately such events are becoming more common. Major floods in areas that haven't seen them in the memory of anyone living. The times they are a changing and not for the better. Prepare, stay safe, help your neighbors. It's all that you can do.

Your friends in the US are thinking of you.

[Michael Paul]

Wow unbelievable amout of rain!

Our hearts are with you.

In Northern California we call these events atmospheric rivers.

The right mixture of ocean temperature, currents, high and low pressure systems all line up to dump a river of rain!

These events in California happen on a 100 to 200 year cycle. The last major event here was 1861-62.
The whole of our central valley was flooded 30 miles east to west , and 300 miles north to south. It rained for 40 days straight. It changed the central valley from ranching, cattle grazing, to farming agriculture. An estimated 800,000 head of cattle drowned.

Just know if any of us in the Model T Communtiy lived anywhere close, we would be there to help. Please keep us updated. Stay safe.

Sincerely, Michael Paul

[Luxford]

I live south of Mitch just below Sydney on the coast in Kiama. For the last week we have been getting huge anounts of rain each day. , most days over 12inches.
Fortunately for me I live 100 yards from the ocean so no chance of being flooded out, yet that didn't stop our insurance company adding $10,000 on top of our home insurance a few years ago because they deemed we were now in a "flood zone"
Last Thursday I had to go to a funeral in Sydney when I arrived home at 4:30pm I looked at the rain gauge neally 10 inches since the day before. I emptied the gauge and by 6:00pm it was pouring rain. At 9:00am Friday morning I went to look at the gauge. I took it inside and it measured 31 3/4 inches. or 810 mm !!!

[Floydv]

Wow!
I didn't know they made rain gauges that big!
Stay safe my friend.

[Luxford]

Hi Floyd,
Yep this is a standard approved rain gauge here in Australia.
Used to be Imperial now marked in metric
You can see inside the large cylinder is a measuring tube connected to the black funnel in the center. It's about an Inch diameter and 12 inches high it measures 250 mm of water.
The outer tube is about 4 inches it collects the overflow, when I measured the water the inner tube was full and the large outer tube had about 6 inches of water in it.

[Floydv]

Thanks for the rain gauge info.
We have an annual rainfall of about 38" in the Pacific Northwest. I can't imagine getting 1/3 of our annual rainfall in one day!

[OilyBill]

Sorry to hear of such bad flooding! Hope the rain quits soon, and there is no more loss of life! Is this your normal rainy season? Just going over the top?