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Upper Hunter a NSW flood concern, says SES

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The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) is predicting possible flooding for Singleton and neighbouring Maitland on the weekend.

It comes after thunderstorms hit the Upper Hunter on Friday morning, delivering 64mm and causing major issues at Kingdon Ponds in Scone.

Volunteers have staged two dozen flood rescues and responded to almost 600 requests for help across NSW since lunchtime on Friday.

Hunter Valley police also dragged a 52-year-old man from a spillway at Muswellbrook after his Toyota Hilux was swept 400m away by the current yesterday evening.

SES Assistant Commissioner Dean Storey admitted it had been a hectic 24 hours throughout the state but particularly in the Upper Hunter.

“That continues to be where our focus is today,” he explained.

“Scone and Muswellbrook were affected by floodwaters over the past 24 hours and will continue to be to an extent today, with the focus shifting downstream.”

Flooding is on the cards in Singleton on Saturday evening and then at Maitland into Sunday, Mr Storey said.

However, the statewide situation remains volatile, with numerous watches and warnings active following a month of heavy rainfall.

Areas of major concern include along the Namoi River at Gunnedah, in the state’s northeast, and the Castlereagh River around Molong in the central west.

“This is quite a large statewide flood risk at the moment,” Mr Storey said.

“We are urging all communities and those flood prone areas to be aware of the risk and monitor the local conditions and follow the advice.”

Sydney’s Warragamba Dam was expected to spill on Friday evening, with the peak overflow volume increasing to a rate of 100 gigalitres per day by Saturday morning.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said some areas of the state had been hit with more than 100mm of rain on Friday.

The downpour was likely to ease over the weekend but the risk of flooding persists. 

There were major flood warnings for the Peel River at Tamworth and the Namoi at Gunnedah, Boggabri, Narrabri, Wee Waa, Bugilbone and Goangra. 

Wee Waa could be cut off for more than a week due to the flooding, while an NSW RFS helicopter was called in to rescue a man trapped on the roof of his car in floodwaters at Caroona on the Liverpool Plains on Friday.

Mr Storey said it was a good time to stay off the roads.

The Oxley Highway is closed in both directions between Carroll and Gunnedah and the Kamilaroi Highway between Curlewis to Breeza.

At Muswellbrook, the New England Highway and Denman Road is closed in both directions.

It’s just one of many road closures in the region.

Visit Muswellbrook Shire, Singleton and Upper Hunter Shire council, or NSW SES, websites for up-to-date information.

  • with AAP

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