Gunnedah braces for major flooding from Namoi River as SES position resources across town

State Emergency Service (SES) Superintendent Mitch Parker was on the ground in Gunnedah on Monday and said the SES was working with its emergency management counterparts and council as the floodwaters rose.

The SES and Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) was expecting the peak of 7.90m - the major flood level - to pass Gunnedah overnight on Monday. But history had shown the waters can be higher with what comes from unmeasured gauges upstream, meaning local crews were preparing for a higher peak.

"The forecast from the bureau is 7.9m but we're preparing for above that," Superintendent Parker said.

"What we are doing in terms of resources and availability is what we've done for similar events, so we are planning for that just in case to be on the safe side."

It's the third major flood for the town in one month, and caps off the wettest year on record for the town.

READ ALSO:

Several roads had been swallowed by floodwaters by Monday afternoon, but the SES said locals and drivers had done the right thing and avoided flooded roads and crossings with no rescues on Monday.

Superintendent Parker said the Mooki River exceeded the major flood level on Sunday at Breeza Station and had started receding into Monday, as the Peel River made its way to Gunnedah.

He said the ruvigne - near where the Peel and Namoi Rivers meet on the outside of Gunnedah - was also "starting to plateau" on Monday, meaning the peak wasn't far off.

Superintendent Parker said Water NSW had already let out plenty of water from Keepit Dam in preparation of the inflows that would come down the Macdonald and Manilla Rivers, including from Split Rock Dam which started spilling on the weekend for the first time in more than 20 years.

A rescue aircraft is based out of Tamworth, and flood operators have been positioned out of Tamworth, Gunnedah, Narrabri and Wee Waa in preparation for what was coming.

Police rescue, as well as other officers, fire crews and surf lifesaving personnel are also on the ground.

Superintendent Parker said while major flooding was predicted for Wee Waa, he said it "was likely access to Wee Waa will remain, but we're keeping a close eye on it".

The Namoi River is expected to surpass the major flood level of 6.70m at Wee Waa on Tuesday afternoon.

The Namoi could cause minor flooding on Tuesday at Boggabri and reach 7.60m, while the Narrabri Creek at Narrabri is also likely to cause minor flooding overnight on Monday and into Tuesday.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: