Deluge causes havoc across region

Rick O’Connor helps 94-year-old Stan Dearnley, of the Central Coast, get to a waiting State Emergency Service boat on Woodford Island.

Lynne Mowbray

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• Counting the cost

WITH so much water around, Daily Examiner photographer Lynne Mowbray went out with emergency services yesterday to report on the good work they do at times like this.

"We went out to Woodford Island to pick up a man who had run out of medication," she said.

"Rick O'Connor from the council was out there in the council punt because they were checking the pumps from the sewerage works.

"While we were there, another call came in that there was someone with chest pains who had to be transported from the village of Ilarwill back to town.

"They ended up sending the fire brigade out to pick him up."

Ms Mowbray said there was no shortage of great work being done by the council and SES.

"At times like this, there's so much action happening at these outlying places," she said.

Ms Mowbray said she was told there was a yacht at Lawrence that had been washed into Sportsman's Creek, which ended up on top of the weir.

Clarence Valley Council deputy GM Rob Donges said the council had a number of staff working over the weekend to ensure safety and carry out inspections.

"A lot of the work is doing inspections on the levees and making sure we don't have any levee failures - which would be a major concern if that ever happened," Mr Donges said.

"They're also checking our pumps are working properly because with the gates closed, any rain that falls in Grafton or Maclean behind the levee walls can't get out, we have to pump it out."

According to the council's website, at 6pm last night at least 44 Clarence Valley roads remained closed due to flooding.

The council almost closed the road into Yamba on Friday afternoon but it remains open.

The Pacific Hwy just south of the cloverleaf that is also prone to flooding is also open to traffic.