Up to 160mm in six hours will fall around the northern rivers, NSW, causing flash flooding.
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00:00 We've seen some heavy rainfall over the NSW Northern Rivers region over the past 24 hours.
00:07 The rainfall there is expected to continue over the next 24 hours.
00:12 Some areas will receive 150 to 250 mm of rainfall.
00:18 It's difficult to predict where this rain will fall,
00:21 so we are urging everyone in the Northern Rivers area to be careful and keep informed.
00:27 Flash flooding has already occurred in some areas including Lismore, Moolumbar, Chillingham and Oxley.
00:35 Some towns have also been isolated. These include Tumblegum, Ukai, Tullygum.
00:44 The rivers around these areas including the Tweed River has a moderate flood alert issued by the Bureau of Meteorology.
00:53 A minor flood alert has been issued for rivers including the Wilson River and Richmond River.
01:00 The creeks surrounding these rivers can rise very quickly and we are urging people to move away from all creeks and rivers,
01:09 particularly those who are camping along creek beds.
01:13 We've already had a number of rescues from campers who are on creek and river beds.
01:20 Can I also urge you if you are camping in those areas to make sure you maintain contact with your family and friends.
01:28 Today we have had SES volunteers activated to go to sites where parents are worried about their teenagers who are camping in those areas.
01:38 You are putting other people's lives at risk by not keeping in contact with family and friends,
01:45 but I urge you to move away from the creeks and rivers in the Northern Rivers area.
01:54 Can I also let you know that we are issuing an emergency alert to alert people in these areas.
02:01 This emergency alert will be issued and will tell you to take precautions at all times, to stay informed.
02:10 Make sure you check social media websites, the internet, mainstream media and TV along with social media.
02:21 We are using every tool at our disposal, so we urge you to pay attention to all the warnings that are being issued at this time.
02:30 Whilst we are not expecting mass evacuations, we do need people in low-lying areas to be prepared.
02:36 Please make sure your emergency kits are now packed and you are ready to leave if you need to.
02:42 Do not leave it to the last minute.
02:45 Already today, NSW SES volunteers have responded to 13 rescues in the Northern Rivers area.
02:53 A lot of these were for campers who had become stranded or unindated with floodwaters.
02:59 Again, we urge people who are camping to move to higher ground, but please also check the road conditions that you will need to travel on,
03:08 and that applies to everybody who is moving around today.
03:11 With the floodwaters rising quickly, we know that sewage and debris will be in those waters.
03:17 There are also potholes and some bridges that have been washed away.
03:22 So please check not only the destination that you are travelling to, but also check the route that you are going to travel and make sure that it is safe.
03:31 But again, we urge people to only travel if necessary.
03:36 I wanted to reiterate that you should never drive through flooded waters.
03:41 As we say, if it's flooded, forget it.
03:44 Can I also take a moment now to thank all of the volunteers of the NSW SES.
03:50 These community members work for your communities to try and keep you safe.
03:55 It's amazing the breadth and depth of what the volunteers do on a daily basis.
04:01 Can I tell you, just in the last two days, the SES have dispatched over 40 people to the Gold Coast to help with the storm recovery up there.
04:12 They've attended over 300 jobs in three days.
04:15 SES volunteers have also attended the tragic five vehicle crash near Lithgow, the rail crossing tragic crash that occurred yesterday near Broken Hill.
04:27 They've assisted with New Year's Eve celebrations around the state, but also helped many, many people with storm damage to their homes.
04:37 So a big thank you to all the volunteers.
04:40 We really appreciate everything you do for us every day, and especially during this holiday period.
04:47 So if I can just remind everybody again, please do not drive through flooded waters.
04:52 Please make sure that if you are camping, that if possible, you move to higher ground.
04:58 And for those who are in areas where the emergency alert has been issued and you will get high rainfalls today,
05:06 please have your emergency kits packed and be ready to evacuate should you need to.