The weekend’s rain certainly didn’t miss Tumut, but it didn’t cop it as bad as other places in the state.
Tumut agronomist Nathan Ferguson recorded 121mm of rain over Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
He measured 16mm at 9am on Friday, 36mm at 9am on Saturday, and 69mm at 9am on Sunday. After a dry period he believes this will be good for Tumut.
“It will be good for pasture around Tumut. Most people will be pleased,” he said.
“There will be a heap of broadleaf weeds that will need to be tackled, but these can be sprayed and chipped.”
The average November rainfall for Tumut is 65.1mm and for December 59.8mm.
Batlow Post Office recorded 27.2mm of rain on Saturday morning and 65mm on Sunday morning.
Despite the many flood warnings issued for the local area Wayne Ward of Tumut SES said the unit was not called to respond to a single job.
What probably made things more reassuring for local residents was that NSW Ambulance Flood Rescue have been holding training exercises in Tumut, which is one of their regular designated places to conduct such exercises. They were here over the weekend and will continue training during this week and over the weekend.
Outdoor sporting activities including Elders Cup cricket matches were called off, but it seems the general consensus is the local rain will do more good than harm.
Other parts of NSW weren’t so fortunate, with the SES carrying out nine flood rescues and responding to 313 incidents state-wide in the 24 hours to 5am Sunday, December 1.
NSW SES volunteers responding to more than 900 incidents across the state since the storms began earlier this week.
These have mostly been for fallen trees and branches, leaking roofs and requests for sandbagging.
NSW SES State Duty Commander, Acting Assistant Commissioner Paul McQueen reminded people to stay across the latest warnings and information, and never drive through floodwater.
“While all people were safely rescued overnight, it’s a reminder of the dangers posed by taking the risk of driving through floodwater,” he said.
“The message is simple – please never drive, ride, or play in floodwaters. I also want to thank those who do the right thing and turn around to find another way. By doing this, you are saving our volunteers from being put into harm’s way.”
The Bureau of Meteorology has predicted above average rainfall throughout December, and has forecast widespread rain, showers, and thunderstorms with moderate to heavy falls set to continue into next week, increasing the risk of flash flooding and river rises.
Acting Assistant Commissioner McQueen urged residents to know their risk and plan ahead this storm season.
“With more rainfall predicted over the summer period, travellers heading to caravan parks and resorts in low lying areas should have a plan and prepare for possible heavy rain, which can lead to flash flooding and riverine rises,” Mr McQueen said.
“You don’t know what condition the road underneath the water is in and can’t see hidden obstacles and debris under the surface. Flooded rivers may also contain hidden debris, snakes, spiders, chemicals and sewage.”
The NSW SES is also encouraging residents to download the Hazards Near Me app to their smart devices or visit Hazard Watch.
“During holiday periods, it’s crucial for those unfamiliar with their surroundings to use the Hazards Near Me app. Set a watch zone for your holiday destination to receive alerts about storms, floods, and other hazards, and know how to stay safe,” Acting Assistant Commissioner McQueen said.
The Tumut River remained within the river channel, with the Tumut gauge (410006) recording a flow rate of 7500 ML/day, well below a channel capacity rate of 9300 ML/day.
