Desperate search underway after woman goes missing in NSW floodwaters as parts of state lashed by wild weather
The woman was last seen at Black Creek, Old North Road, Rothbury, approximately 16 km north of Cessnock at about 7.50pm on Saturday.
It is understood she was a passenger in a Mini Countryman that had attempted to drive through floodwater before it became stuck.
The driver and the passenger attempted to exit the vehicle, but the woman believed to be in her 20s, was swept away.
A 27-year-old woman, who was the driver, managed to escape, uninjured.
Search attempts for the woman was suspended on Saturday, but NSW Rural Fire Service and VRA Rescue NSW are expected to ramp up efforts on Sunday.
Further, a 40-year-old man was found stuck in a nearby tree after his car became trapped in floodwaters on Saturday.
Emergency services attempted to reach the man, but he was swept from the tree further down Black Creek.
SES members followed the man through the water before they were able to safely pull him to shore nearby.
He was treated by paramedics before being taken to hospital for assessment.
As a tropical zone of moisture collides with a low-pressure system off the New South Wales Mid North Coast, the worst of the wild weather was expected to hit the eastern states on Saturday with conditions forecast to ease from Sunday.
Severe thunderstorms has lashed the Mid North Coast, while heavy snow lathered on the Northern Tablelands and the Hunter saw major flooding.
The State Emergency Service responded to 1455 incidents relating to rainfall, thunderstorms and snow, and emergency warnings are currently in place for Northern Rivers, Mid North Coast, Hunter, Central Tablelands, North West Slopes and Plains, Central West Slopes and Plains and Northern Tablelands Forecast Districts.
Old North Road remains closed due to flooding.
Live updates are available from www.livetraffic.com.
Members of the public in flood-affected areas have been reminded to avoid dangers such as damaged powerlines and flood water on roads.
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The Australian
a day ago
- The Australian
Woman missing as NSW floods, snow in Northern Tablelands as weather system hits
An urgent search is underway after a woman was swept away overnight in rising floodwaters in NSW's Hunter Region. Two women in their 20s were driving about 16km north of Cessnock when their Mini Countryman became stuck as they tried to drive through floodwaters. Both women exited the car, and the passenger was swept away. The 27-year-old driver was safe. The search was suspended overnight and has resumed today. Rainfall totals as high as 137mm have triggered widespread emergency responses across NSW and southeast Queensland, after a barrage of wild weather hit both states. The NSW State Emergency Service has issued more than 40 flood warnings north of Newcastle, with parts of one town urged to evacuate immediately. Six streets in the Upper Hunter town of Scone were ordered to evacuate by 4am Sunday after 'major flooding'. 'If you remain in the area, you may become trapped without power, water, and other essential services,' the SES has warned residents. 'It may be too dangerous for NSW SES to rescue you, and buildings may not be able to withstand the impact of flood water.' The NSW SES responded to more than 1,455 incidents caused by the severe weather, including more than 100 vehicles stuck in snow on the New England Highway, Waterfall Way, Norris Drive and Grafton Road. 'Unprecedented snowfall was recorded around Armidale and Guyra yesterday afternoon, creating dangerous road conditions,' the SES reported. The conditions are expected to ease on Sunday afternoon, but high levels of snow will make driving dangerous and there remains a risk of riverine flooding. Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Miriam Bradbury said snow had been seen as far north as the Granite Belt in southeast Queensland. 'Now all of this snow, particularly across the northern tablelands, did create some fairly dangerous driving conditions and some roads are still closed,' Ms Bradbury said. 'Conditions will gradually ease through the course of today, but they'll ease more rapidly overnight tonight into Monday 'By Monday, we're really expecting fairly isolated showers across the East Coast, with wind starting to pull back as well. 'However, we are likely to see hazardous surf persisting through to the middle of the coming week, with flooding likely to continue as well, our riverine catchments are saturated and they will take a few days to start to come down from those flood levels that are expected.' She went on to warn that a cold front hitting Western Australia could bring strong winds and thunderstorms. 'These winds will be ramping up about the southwest coast through this morning,' Ms Bradbury said. 'The forecast for Western Australia today indicates widespread showers and thunderstorms as the second cold front moves through, sweeping across those southwestern parts of the state. 'Thunderstorm could become severe through the course of today. 'We may also see small hail about the southwest coast of Western Australia today, including around the Perth area.' Brendan Kearns Cadet Journalist Brendan Kearns is a cadet journalist with News Corp Australia. He has written for The Australian, the Herald Sun, the Geelong Advertiser, CHOICE, Cosmos, and The Citizen. He won Democracy's Watchdogs' Student Award for Investigative Journalism 2024 and hosted the third season of award-winning podcast Uncurated. He studied as Master of Journalism at The University of Melbourne, before that he worked as a video producer and disability worker. NewsWire NSW Police are reviewing footage of an officer allegedly pushing a woman to the ground during a dramatic arrest after a car was damaged outside a school. NewsWire Flights have been delayed as thousands of passengers were forced to be rescreened for security from Brisbane Airport following a technical fault.
The Advertiser
a day ago
- The Advertiser
Water search dogs join police operation after woman swept away in flood
POLICE divers and specialty water search dogs have been deployed to the Hunter Valley as part of the multi-agency operation to find a woman swept away in raging floodwaters on the weekend. Two Chinese nationals trying to get back to Sydney after a weekend in wine country attempted to drive through a causeway on Old North Road at North Rothbury as floodwaters surged through on Saturday night. The women, aged 27 and 26, a dog and the small car they were travelling in were washed into Black Creek, near Cessnock. The driver grabbed the dog and made it to shore but her 26-year-old passenger did not surface. Emergency services swarmed the area and a multi-agency search operation was launched, involving the NSW State Emergency Service (SES), the Rural Fire Service (RFS), the Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA) and police, including water and rescue officers. The search from the land and water, and from the sky with a drone, continued through the weekend. Police divers were tasked to help with the search when it resumed on Monday. Five canines from the VRA NSW Search Dogs squad and their handlers were also tasked to assist. Four of those dogs had been trained in water searching, the first of their kind in Australia. They are part of a wider canine team that assist the police in different circumstances. Squad captain Sue Pritchard said the specialist capability had been deployed about 14 times since it became active one year ago. The dogs are highly trained to find people in the water and on the shoreline, and can help narrow down search areas. "They are truly amazing, and they have been very successful," she said, speaking generally about the squad. They work in a range of conditions and have to be able to navigate debris and balance themselves on a boat. Their training is intense and they have to be so finely tuned to what they are looking for due to the varying water conditions, temperatures, winds and currents. They can smell, detect bubbles, and may lick the water. Their partnerships with their handlers, who have to be able to read what the dogs are trying to say, is key. "We need pretty resilient dogs," she said. The team is made up of cocker and springer spaniels, coolies and a border collie. The volunteer handlers all come from different walks of life and can be called to go anywhere to help out. Captain Pritchard said the team was just happy to be able to help families have their loved ones found as quickly as possible. The search conditions were difficult on Saturday, with rescuers battling poor weather conditions and visibility. Police confirmed family in Australia and China had been notified of the search and police were liaising with Chinese Consulate officials. The 26-year-old woman was in Australia working as an engineer and was visiting the Hunter. A 40-year-old man also attempted to cross Black Creek when his car was swept into the raging waters and he was rescued by SES crews who found him clinging to a tree. The incidents came as wild weather wreaked havoc along the east coast. Shortland Esplanade remained closed to traffic near Nobbys beach on Monday as City of Newcastle crews worked to clear a weather-related landslip. No properties were affected. The New England Highway was closed at Muswellbrook due to flooding but reopened just after 10am on Monday, August 4. Dozens of local roads across the Hunter council areas remained closed due to floodwater inundation. A small section of Raymond Terrace, along the Hunter River, was under evacuation orders on Sunday night. Part of Hinton was isolated on Monday, while Hinton Public School and Hunter Trade College were non-operational. On Monday, the SES warned Clarence Town, Seaham, Muswellbrook, Denman, Maitland and Singleton to monitor conditions and stay informed on flooding in their areas. Holiday-makers and locals on the Mid North Coast were hit with what one resident described as 'mini cyclone' conditions on the weekend, causing damage to structures. The sun came out in Newcastle on Monday and conditions are expected to remain dry on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM). POLICE divers and specialty water search dogs have been deployed to the Hunter Valley as part of the multi-agency operation to find a woman swept away in raging floodwaters on the weekend. Two Chinese nationals trying to get back to Sydney after a weekend in wine country attempted to drive through a causeway on Old North Road at North Rothbury as floodwaters surged through on Saturday night. The women, aged 27 and 26, a dog and the small car they were travelling in were washed into Black Creek, near Cessnock. The driver grabbed the dog and made it to shore but her 26-year-old passenger did not surface. Emergency services swarmed the area and a multi-agency search operation was launched, involving the NSW State Emergency Service (SES), the Rural Fire Service (RFS), the Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA) and police, including water and rescue officers. The search from the land and water, and from the sky with a drone, continued through the weekend. Police divers were tasked to help with the search when it resumed on Monday. Five canines from the VRA NSW Search Dogs squad and their handlers were also tasked to assist. Four of those dogs had been trained in water searching, the first of their kind in Australia. They are part of a wider canine team that assist the police in different circumstances. Squad captain Sue Pritchard said the specialist capability had been deployed about 14 times since it became active one year ago. The dogs are highly trained to find people in the water and on the shoreline, and can help narrow down search areas. "They are truly amazing, and they have been very successful," she said, speaking generally about the squad. They work in a range of conditions and have to be able to navigate debris and balance themselves on a boat. Their training is intense and they have to be so finely tuned to what they are looking for due to the varying water conditions, temperatures, winds and currents. They can smell, detect bubbles, and may lick the water. Their partnerships with their handlers, who have to be able to read what the dogs are trying to say, is key. "We need pretty resilient dogs," she said. The team is made up of cocker and springer spaniels, coolies and a border collie. The volunteer handlers all come from different walks of life and can be called to go anywhere to help out. Captain Pritchard said the team was just happy to be able to help families have their loved ones found as quickly as possible. The search conditions were difficult on Saturday, with rescuers battling poor weather conditions and visibility. Police confirmed family in Australia and China had been notified of the search and police were liaising with Chinese Consulate officials. The 26-year-old woman was in Australia working as an engineer and was visiting the Hunter. A 40-year-old man also attempted to cross Black Creek when his car was swept into the raging waters and he was rescued by SES crews who found him clinging to a tree. The incidents came as wild weather wreaked havoc along the east coast. Shortland Esplanade remained closed to traffic near Nobbys beach on Monday as City of Newcastle crews worked to clear a weather-related landslip. No properties were affected. The New England Highway was closed at Muswellbrook due to flooding but reopened just after 10am on Monday, August 4. Dozens of local roads across the Hunter council areas remained closed due to floodwater inundation. A small section of Raymond Terrace, along the Hunter River, was under evacuation orders on Sunday night. Part of Hinton was isolated on Monday, while Hinton Public School and Hunter Trade College were non-operational. On Monday, the SES warned Clarence Town, Seaham, Muswellbrook, Denman, Maitland and Singleton to monitor conditions and stay informed on flooding in their areas. Holiday-makers and locals on the Mid North Coast were hit with what one resident described as 'mini cyclone' conditions on the weekend, causing damage to structures. The sun came out in Newcastle on Monday and conditions are expected to remain dry on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM). POLICE divers and specialty water search dogs have been deployed to the Hunter Valley as part of the multi-agency operation to find a woman swept away in raging floodwaters on the weekend. Two Chinese nationals trying to get back to Sydney after a weekend in wine country attempted to drive through a causeway on Old North Road at North Rothbury as floodwaters surged through on Saturday night. The women, aged 27 and 26, a dog and the small car they were travelling in were washed into Black Creek, near Cessnock. The driver grabbed the dog and made it to shore but her 26-year-old passenger did not surface. Emergency services swarmed the area and a multi-agency search operation was launched, involving the NSW State Emergency Service (SES), the Rural Fire Service (RFS), the Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA) and police, including water and rescue officers. The search from the land and water, and from the sky with a drone, continued through the weekend. Police divers were tasked to help with the search when it resumed on Monday. Five canines from the VRA NSW Search Dogs squad and their handlers were also tasked to assist. Four of those dogs had been trained in water searching, the first of their kind in Australia. They are part of a wider canine team that assist the police in different circumstances. Squad captain Sue Pritchard said the specialist capability had been deployed about 14 times since it became active one year ago. The dogs are highly trained to find people in the water and on the shoreline, and can help narrow down search areas. "They are truly amazing, and they have been very successful," she said, speaking generally about the squad. They work in a range of conditions and have to be able to navigate debris and balance themselves on a boat. Their training is intense and they have to be so finely tuned to what they are looking for due to the varying water conditions, temperatures, winds and currents. They can smell, detect bubbles, and may lick the water. Their partnerships with their handlers, who have to be able to read what the dogs are trying to say, is key. "We need pretty resilient dogs," she said. The team is made up of cocker and springer spaniels, coolies and a border collie. The volunteer handlers all come from different walks of life and can be called to go anywhere to help out. Captain Pritchard said the team was just happy to be able to help families have their loved ones found as quickly as possible. The search conditions were difficult on Saturday, with rescuers battling poor weather conditions and visibility. Police confirmed family in Australia and China had been notified of the search and police were liaising with Chinese Consulate officials. The 26-year-old woman was in Australia working as an engineer and was visiting the Hunter. A 40-year-old man also attempted to cross Black Creek when his car was swept into the raging waters and he was rescued by SES crews who found him clinging to a tree. The incidents came as wild weather wreaked havoc along the east coast. Shortland Esplanade remained closed to traffic near Nobbys beach on Monday as City of Newcastle crews worked to clear a weather-related landslip. No properties were affected. The New England Highway was closed at Muswellbrook due to flooding but reopened just after 10am on Monday, August 4. Dozens of local roads across the Hunter council areas remained closed due to floodwater inundation. A small section of Raymond Terrace, along the Hunter River, was under evacuation orders on Sunday night. Part of Hinton was isolated on Monday, while Hinton Public School and Hunter Trade College were non-operational. On Monday, the SES warned Clarence Town, Seaham, Muswellbrook, Denman, Maitland and Singleton to monitor conditions and stay informed on flooding in their areas. Holiday-makers and locals on the Mid North Coast were hit with what one resident described as 'mini cyclone' conditions on the weekend, causing damage to structures. The sun came out in Newcastle on Monday and conditions are expected to remain dry on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM). POLICE divers and specialty water search dogs have been deployed to the Hunter Valley as part of the multi-agency operation to find a woman swept away in raging floodwaters on the weekend. Two Chinese nationals trying to get back to Sydney after a weekend in wine country attempted to drive through a causeway on Old North Road at North Rothbury as floodwaters surged through on Saturday night. The women, aged 27 and 26, a dog and the small car they were travelling in were washed into Black Creek, near Cessnock. The driver grabbed the dog and made it to shore but her 26-year-old passenger did not surface. Emergency services swarmed the area and a multi-agency search operation was launched, involving the NSW State Emergency Service (SES), the Rural Fire Service (RFS), the Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA) and police, including water and rescue officers. The search from the land and water, and from the sky with a drone, continued through the weekend. Police divers were tasked to help with the search when it resumed on Monday. Five canines from the VRA NSW Search Dogs squad and their handlers were also tasked to assist. Four of those dogs had been trained in water searching, the first of their kind in Australia. They are part of a wider canine team that assist the police in different circumstances. Squad captain Sue Pritchard said the specialist capability had been deployed about 14 times since it became active one year ago. The dogs are highly trained to find people in the water and on the shoreline, and can help narrow down search areas. "They are truly amazing, and they have been very successful," she said, speaking generally about the squad. They work in a range of conditions and have to be able to navigate debris and balance themselves on a boat. Their training is intense and they have to be so finely tuned to what they are looking for due to the varying water conditions, temperatures, winds and currents. They can smell, detect bubbles, and may lick the water. Their partnerships with their handlers, who have to be able to read what the dogs are trying to say, is key. "We need pretty resilient dogs," she said. The team is made up of cocker and springer spaniels, coolies and a border collie. The volunteer handlers all come from different walks of life and can be called to go anywhere to help out. Captain Pritchard said the team was just happy to be able to help families have their loved ones found as quickly as possible. The search conditions were difficult on Saturday, with rescuers battling poor weather conditions and visibility. Police confirmed family in Australia and China had been notified of the search and police were liaising with Chinese Consulate officials. The 26-year-old woman was in Australia working as an engineer and was visiting the Hunter. A 40-year-old man also attempted to cross Black Creek when his car was swept into the raging waters and he was rescued by SES crews who found him clinging to a tree. The incidents came as wild weather wreaked havoc along the east coast. Shortland Esplanade remained closed to traffic near Nobbys beach on Monday as City of Newcastle crews worked to clear a weather-related landslip. No properties were affected. The New England Highway was closed at Muswellbrook due to flooding but reopened just after 10am on Monday, August 4. Dozens of local roads across the Hunter council areas remained closed due to floodwater inundation. A small section of Raymond Terrace, along the Hunter River, was under evacuation orders on Sunday night. Part of Hinton was isolated on Monday, while Hinton Public School and Hunter Trade College were non-operational. On Monday, the SES warned Clarence Town, Seaham, Muswellbrook, Denman, Maitland and Singleton to monitor conditions and stay informed on flooding in their areas. Holiday-makers and locals on the Mid North Coast were hit with what one resident described as 'mini cyclone' conditions on the weekend, causing damage to structures. The sun came out in Newcastle on Monday and conditions are expected to remain dry on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM).
Sky News AU
a day ago
- Sky News AU
Parts of Hunter, Gunnedah in NSW's north ordered to 'evacuate now' as floodwater levels rise amid extreme deluge, with young woman still missing
A weekend of severe rain has caused torrential conditions across parts of northern NSW, prompting orders for residents to "evacuate now" or "prepare to be isolated" as floodwaters continue to rise. Emergency crews are expected to continue searching for a 26-year-old Chinese woman, who remains missing for almost two days after she was swept away in floodwaters on Saturday. The woman, who was in Australia on a work visa, was last seen at Black Creek, Old North Road, Rothbury, about 16 km north of Cessnock about 7.50pm on Saturday evening. It is understood she was the passenger in a vehicle that attempted to drive through the floodwaters before it became stuck. While the driver escaped, she was swept away. Detective Inspector Laksa said the two women were cousins trying to return home to Sydney. NSW Police said a multi-agency search was suspended on Sunday due to severe weather conditions and poor visibility, but the search resumed on Monday morning. Those living in low-lying parts of Raymond Terrace in the Hunter, and Gunnedah in north-central NSW received evacuation orders on Sunday night. ''You must evacuate now because inundation is occurring and evacuation routes will be closed due to floodwaters,'' one SES alert read. The next updates for both areas are due to be issued later on Monday. A moderate flood warning remains in place for the Peel River at Tamworth and Hunter River at Denman. Minor flood warnings are current for the Manning, Gloucester, Macleay, Severn, Paterson, Williams, and Gwydir Rivers. There are still more than 50 warnings current for residents across the Mid North Coast, Upper Hunter and New England regions. More than 20,000 Essential Energy customers are out of power as a result of the wild weather over the weekend which led to rain, snow and flooding. Severe thunderstorms raged through the Mid North Coast, while heavy snow built up in the Northern Tablelands. Sky News Meteorologist Rob Sharpe said Monday is expected to be much "calmer" after 20-50 cm of snow covered parts of northern NSW. "It was the biggest snow for this region including Armidale, Ebor and Guyra since 1984," he said. Sharpe further advised that there is still a damaging surf warning along the NSW coast up to the Gold Coast, with the high waves expected to ease by today, but still remain large and hazardous. The wet weather that has hammered much of NSW for the past week is slowly starting to dissipate, with a slight chance of a shower in Sydney, Newcastle, and the NSW coast. The SES said it received more than 3,600 calls for help since the weather system drenched the state on Saturday.
