Resident recounts motorists risking rising floodwaters

A LIMPINWOOD resident has described being trapped between rapidly rising floodwaters near Crystal Creek earlier this week as heavy rain triggered more than 200 emergency calls and three flood rescues across the Northern Rivers and Mid North Coast.

NSW State Emergency Service crews responded to widespread incidents during the severe weather, with emergency warnings issued across several communities as rivers rose and roads were cut.

Limpinwood resident Arna Baartz said conditions changed rapidly while travelling home on Monday afternoon.

“We were on our way home, it was raining quite heavily around 3pm,” she said.

“We came over Korns Crossing bridge near Crystal Creek Public School and were really surprised to see water had risen in the paddock and was crossing the road.

“Because it was still very shallow and not running, we decided to drive through it.”

Baartz said she continued towards home before encountering heavier flooding near Chillingham.

“About three minutes before the post office we came over a rise and had to stop quite suddenly because of the shocking amount of water building up and running across toward the river which had risen to meet it,” she said.

“After watching a few other vehicles make their way across, we decided it was too scary for our little car so we turned back towards town assuming we would either go via Eungella/Tyalgum or stay in town for the night.”

But when they returned to the crossing near the school, she said conditions had worsened dramatically.

“When we approached the water near the school, we were completely surprised to see that it had risen in those few minutes, so that it had become impossible for us to pass through,” she said.

“Other cars were attempting it and being swayed by the water.”

 

Baartz said motorists were taking significant risks attempting to drive through floodwaters.

“There were scary attempts from cars that were really too small to risk it,” she said.

With roads cut in both directions, Baartz and her partner sheltered at Crystal Creek Estate Cafe and Nursery.

“The only choice we had was to stay in between these two spots, so we pulled into Crystal Creek Estate Cafe & Nursery,” she said.

Baartz said the café owner welcomed them in despite closing for the day.

“She welcomed us in and dried us off under her heater and gave us the best cup of tea we ever had,” she said.

“We hunkered down there for a few hours as the weather continued.”

Baartz said she later learned a man and dog had been rescued in the Numinbah area and saw emergency crews responding nearby throughout the afternoon.

Still unable to return home, the pair eventually spent the night with friends nearby.

“Luckily for us we had somewhere to go,” she said.

Baartz said the speed of the flooding was unlike anything she had previously witnessed.

“It seemed to me to have been so much faster than I have ever seen before, but then, it had been raining for months so the ground was probably pretty waterlogged,” she said.

NSW SES has urged people to stay out of floodwater and never drive through flooded roads.