|
 Record-breaking
rainfall brought serious flooding to southern Tasmania today, while a major
flood peak moved down the South Esk River in the state's north following
yesterday's rain.
Flood peaks -- Tasmanian Floods
24/25 September |
| River |
Location |
Height (m) |
Time |
Flood Level |
| Macquarie |
Mt Morriston |
3.1 |
1500/24 |
Major |
| |
Ross |
2.9 |
0000/25 |
Moderate |
| |
Morningside |
4.7 |
1500/25 |
Moderate |
| South Esk |
Fingal |
6.6 |
1700/24 |
Moderate |
| |
Llewellyn |
9.0 |
0400/25 |
Major |
| |
Symmons Plains |
4.5 |
1500/25 |
Moderate |
| |
Perth |
7.7 |
2200/25 |
-- |
| Meander |
Meander |
2.3 |
1200/24 |
Minor |
| |
Deloraine |
2.1 |
1800/24 |
Minor |
| |
Strathbridge |
6.3 |
0900/25 |
Minor |
| |
Westwood Bridge |
7.0 |
0600/16 |
-- |
| Huon |
Judbury |
6.0 |
1400/25 |
Moderate |
| |
Huonville |
3.92 |
1800/25 |
-- |
The deep low that brought rain-bearing easterlies to the state's east coast
yesterday moved south of the island today, turning the wind southerly and
bringing heavy rain to the south. New September one-day rainfall records
were set at Geeveston, Cape Bruny, Tarraleah and Savage River. Cape Bruny's
total of 76.6mm significantly exceeded the previous record of 55.4 in 107 years
of observation.
Strathgordon, on Lake Pedder in the Southwest, had its highest one-day
total for any month with
a reading of 113.6mm. While the West Coast of Tasmania is renowned for its
rain, totals above 100mm are rare enough for this to be the only one in Strathgordon's
35-year observing history. Some notable readings for the West Coast unearthed
by Bureau climatologist Blair Trewin are 182.9mm at Mt Read (Mt Lyell Mines)
on
19 May 1913 and 165.4mm at Melaleuca on 23 April
1960.
Much of the island experienced flooding today, with flood warnings issued
for the Mersey, Meander, North and South Esk, Macquarie, Jordan, Derwent and
Huon River Basins. Moderate to major flooding occurred in the Macquarie, South
Esk and Huon.
The South Esk at Perth peaked at 7.7m late this evening, its highest level
since 8.55m in June 1978. Both the South Esk and the Macquarie which joins
it at Longford reached major flood level along parts of their courses. The
Llewellyn peak of 9.0m compares closely with the July 1974 flood, and is its
eighth-highest flood level since 1921. No damage was reported from the flooding
as levee banks held, though agricultural land was inundated and a caravan park
on the Macquarie River had to be evacuated.
South of Hobart, the Huon Valley experienced its worst flooding
since 1996. The Mercury reported that some businesses and homes in
Huonville had been flooded and cars towed out of floodwaters, with the flood
peak exacerbated
by a high tide. SES and all available Council workers were
kept busy sandbagging threatened buildings, and the town's preparedness resulted
in a higher level of protection than in the 1996 floods. Not so fortunate were
orchardists at Rookwood, a little upstream of Huonville, who planted trees
last week only to have them washed out today. Road bridges at Grove, Cygnet
and Dover were damaged and will need replacement. The flooding contaminated
water supplies in Huonville, Cygnet, Geeveston and Dover.
 In
VIC, flooding subsided today. The low levels of the Dartmouth Dam
on the Mitta Mitta and Lake Eppalock on the Campaspe held back the flood
peaks in those rivers. Water barely reached minor flood levels in the Kiewa,
Ovens, Goulburn and Broken systems, though flooding on the Buffalo and Avoca
Rivers reached moderate levels.
Sources: BoM, ABC, Hobart Mercury, Launceston Examiner |
Records set
this day (previous record and years of computerised record shown in brackets):
Highest daily rainfall for any month:
Tasmania:
097053 STRATHGORDON VILLAGE 113.6 (98.8, 35)
Highest
daily rainfall for August:
Tasmania:
094010 CAPE BRUNY LIGHTHOUSE 76.6 (55.4, 107)
094137 GEEVESTON (FORESTRY CEMETERY ROAD) 49.2 (45.0, 28)
095018 TARRALEAH VILLAGE 65.0 (63.5, 65)
097047 SAVAGE RIVER MINE 59.0 (50.3, 33)
097053 STRATHGORDON VILLAGE 113.6 (91.0, 35)
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