The area around Lake Macquarie saw record amounts of rainfall today, Friday 28 February 2014. The city of Lake Macqaurie is situated on the coastline just south of Newcastle and around 150km (90 miles) north of Sydney, New South Wales. The surrounding areas of Lake Macquarie and some suburbs were also affected, with the torrential rain inevitably causing incidents of flash flooding.
Rainfall figures
During a 24 hour period up til 9am on Friday 28 February, the rainfall figures for the local area are:
- Cooranbong – 233mm
- Dora Creek – 261mm
- Swansea – 231mm
In Cooranbong, the previous record was of 221mm was set in April 16, 1927.
Localised Rain
According to local news reports, the rainfall was unusually localised. The south western corner of Lake Macquarie saw huge amounts of rain in a short space of time. Other areas such as Newcastle and Gosford saw comparatively smaller amounts.
Flooding
Incidents of flash flooding have been reported across the area. Over 100 calls were made to the emergency services. Swansea, Dora Creek, the City of Lake Macquarie and Cooranbong all saw some flooding. Flood water was said to be around 15cm deep in some roads in Blacksmiths.
194mm of #rain in 8 hours http://t.co/LLnsuLOyRv pic.twitter.com/WYsb5LcgP7
— Fairfax Regional (@FairfaxRegional) February 28, 2014
There were also incidents of flooding further north in some suburbs of Newcastle, including Kotara, parts of Mayfield, Islington and New Lambton.
Heavy Rain Moving North
Weather forecasters say the rain is likely to move northwards along the coast over the next 24 to 48 hours.
Pasha Bulker
This recent downpour reminded many local residents of the “Pasha Bulker” storm of June 2007. That storm is famous for forcing the cargo ship “Pasha Bulker” to run aground at a beach in Newcastle. But the storm also caused problems on land when many houses and streets were flooded across the area.
Source: The Newcastle Herald
