A combination of heavy rain and freakishly high tides mean Byron Bay is getting hammered with extreme levels of erosion, while the rest of northern NSW is also bracing for floods.
Byron Bay’s main beach in particular was practically submerged on Sunday, and there are fears it could permanently wreck the shoreline which is already prone to erosion.
Byron Mayor Simon Richardson told the ABC he was nervous about what’s to come.
“Everyone is nervous who has an understanding of the implications,” he said.
“We’ve obviously had a lot of storms over the years but we also know there are some erosion issues there that are — I mean, I don’t want to over use the word unprecedented, but it’s certainly a real confluence of different conditions.”
Main Beach in Byron Bay… gone! @9NewsSyd #NSWfloods pic.twitter.com/BWC6beCejy
— Hannah Sinclair (@hansinclair9) December 13, 2020
Five-metre-high king tides have been threatening mansions and businesses along the beachfront, with much of the shoreline completely trashed already.
On top of that, even more heavy rain is forecast for the coming days. Rivers are already close to bursting and flash floods have started popping up around the region.
“This is the most significant rainfall event since February and flooding will pose a significant risk to the community,” the Bureau of Meteorology’s Jonathan How said on Sunday.
The Bureau of Meteorology reckons that by Monday morning, the tide could be as high as 1.8 metres.
Communities in the state’s north are facing an anxious night, with heavy rain forecast to fall on already flooded roads. @hansinclair9 #9News pic.twitter.com/yeVwEMsvg8
— 9News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) December 13, 2020
The NSW SES has so far received over 700 calls, and there’ll likely be more in the coming days.
“I’ve seen some of the vision, not only of people driving in flood waters but children playing in flood waters,” NSW SES Commissioner Carlene York told reporters.
“This water is fast flowing, it’s not like it normally is in those rivers.”
Her message about the floodwaters to people living in northern NSW is clear: “Be very careful, it is quite deceptive and it can change quite quickly.”
