Two men missing in NSW flood waters as Gundagai braces for worst flooding in 33 years
Anthony Albanese says he is concerned about two men missing in flood waters after their ute was washed off the road in central New South Wales.
As the Riverina town of Gundagai braced for its worst flooding in 33 years, the State Emergency Service undertook 39 flood rescues in the 24 hours to Wednesday morning.
The missing men were riding in the back of a ute that was swept off the road while being driven across a spilling causeway about 50km from Boorowa on Monday night.
Police said two others in the cab of the ute were able to free themselves and get to safety.
“Can I just express my concern at the news that authorities and volunteers are searching for two men who’ve gone missing in Boorowa,” the prime minister said on Wednesday.
“This is a dangerous time. These floods are having a real impact.
“We’ve already seen a loss of life on the east coast, and I just hope that we receive some positive news … in the coming hours.”
It came as snow, ice and flooding hit parts of inland NSW, with spring bringing an unexpected icy snap to areas of the central tablelands.
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Snow took many inland residents by surprise on Wednesday, when powder was spotted in Orange and the village of Yetholme, between Lithgow and Bathurst.
“Snow, ice and flooding all around,” the deputy premier and Bathurst MP, Paul Toole, said in a Facebook post on Wednesday, sharing photos of snowcovered paddocks around the village.
Meanwhile, multiple river systems across the state were in flood, with 103 warnings active and 13 evacuation orders in place.
In the Riverina, more rain was expected as the Murrumbidgee River rises and Burrinjuck Dam spills, causing major flooding at Gundagai where levels exceeded 1989 flood levels on Wednesday.
Downstream major flooding was possible at Wagga Wagga on Thursday.
Further along the Murrumbidgee, major flooding continued at Hay and moderate inundation at Narrandera, with major flooding possible early next week.
Major flooding was expected along the Lachlan River at Nanami and Forbes, where an event similar to one last experienced in June 1952 was possible from Friday.
Further downstream, major flooding continued at Jemalong, Condobolin,
Euabalong and Hillston.
The Bureau of Meteorology also expected major flooding on the Bogan River at Nyngan, Mulgawarrina and Gongolgon.
Flooding was also likely for Albury after the Murray-Darling Basin Authority increased its releases of water from Hume Dam in response to continued rain.
Combined with inflows from the Kiewa River downstream of the dam, the Murray River was expected to approach or exceed the major flood level in the city, which is one of the state’s largest regional centres
As of Wednesday, the dam was 97% full.
Evacuation orders were in place for residents in Moama and Mathoura on the Murray, at Cowra in the state’s central west and Tumut in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains.