Central west, southern slopes, lashed by storms

NSW State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers continue to work through the effects of intense rainfall and destructive winds as severe weather moved through the Riverina and Central West. Since Saturday morning, the NSW SES has responded to more than 460 incidents across the state, with 298 of those in the Southern Zone after significant storms impacted the communities of Yenda near Griffith, and The Rock near Wagga Wagga, causing widespread damage to homes and infrastructure. The busiest unit in the state was the NSW SES Griffith Unit, which responded to more than 70 incidents in 24 hours to 7am Sunday. State Duty Commander, Assistant Commissioner Dean Storey said rapid damage assessment teams were moving into the Riverina today. “There has been significant damage in the Riverina after a storm brought destructive winds up to 115 kilometres per hour on Saturday afternoon,” Assistant Commissioner Storey said. “NSW SES volunteers, along with our emergency service partners, have responded to the majority of incidents overnight and will begin assessing the impacts of the damage today.” Meanwhile in the Central West, recent heavy rainfall has led to rises on the Macquarie River, with a minor flood warning issued for Bathurst where a peak of 4.0m is expected on Sunday. “Additional flood rescue teams and a High Clearance Vehicle have been deployed at Collarenebri and Walgett to bolster flood rescue and resupply capability,” Assistant Commissioner Storey said. “Out-of-area teams from Metro, North Eastern, and Northern Zones have also been deployed to assist with flooding on the Barwon.” Assistant Commissioner Storey encouraged people to download the Hazards Near Me app to stay across the latest warnings and information relevant to their community. “People can set up alerts on the app to get a notification when a severe weather warning, flood alert or update straight to their phones so they can prepare and respond to the impacts of severe weather as early as possible,” he said. OPERATIONAL STATISTICS FOR 24 HOURS TO 7AM SUNDAY STATEWIDE: 464 Metro Zone: 84 North Eastern Zone: 3 North Western Zone: 3 South Eastern Zone: 34 Southern Zone: 298 Western Zone: 42