Squelch!

It’s a little damp here, mind you, not as damp as some places.

We have been just on the northern edge of all the rain, only getting light showers……… that is, until last night.  This morning there was water right through our shed.  When we get very heavy rain it comes down the hill behind us and flows through the shed.  Fortunately, nothing of importance or electrical was in its path.

I didn’t get any photos on the way to work, but had the camera out on the way home.

We can go to town two different ways, both about the same distance. One way has two causeways and comes out on the Sydney side of the Macquarie River.  Both these causeways were under water this morning, with the road surface damaged on one and a big tree across the other.  I didn’t go that way, so haven’t actually seen it.

The other way is usually OK, so I travelled that way today.

This is the Campbells River this afternoon, downstream from our local water supply, Chifley Dam.  The dam is overflowing and the water levels here this afternoon are much higher than when I went to work.

Now for a bit of Geography…..

Chifley Dam is on the Campbells River and has a wonderful catchment area from right up behind Oberon.  As a result Bathurst usually has no water problems during a drought.

Bathurst is on the Macquarie River, which is created from the convergence of the Campbells River and the Fish River, just south of town.  The Fish River also comes from the Oberon area.  Add to that the Vale Creek, also from the south of town and when you get a lot of rain in that area we get a nice big flood.  Of course, that is where all the rain has been this time.

It has been a bit crazy in town today, everyone seemed to need to get to the opposite side of the river.  There are two crossings, one has a low level bridge, which has been under water all day and the main highway floods next to the sporting fields due to a little local creek.  Schools were closed and everyone was trying to get home before they were stranded.

The river is expected to peak tonight at about 9.00pm.   Don’t you hate it when these things happen at night and  progress can’t be monitored easily.  The last big flood was in 1998.  I don’t know if this one is expected to be as big, I don’t think it is.  There have been lots of levies built since the last flood and it will be interesting to see how they go.  It will be their first test.

And guess what…… it is still raining……with lots more predicted for tonight and tomorrow.

Anyway, back to my trip home.  Unfortunately, wherever I could get a good view of all the water I would have a car sitting right behind me, so couldn’t stop for a photo.  This is a bit closer to home.

See this little trickle beside the road…

It flows into this dam…..

Then out of the dam….

Then back along the road…. (sorry for the spotty photos, but it was still raining.)

Then under the culvert where we turn onto our little dirt road….

Early this morning it was up over the bitumen.  The first time that has happened since we’ve been out here (16 years).

About 500m further along another little creek crosses under the road to join this one and they then flow to the left of the photo and create “King Georges Gully” which flows through our place.  It is normally just a trickle in the bottom of a gully.  From the house we can now hear it roaring.  We might have to get out the gum boots and go for a walk in the morning if it stops raining.  Our big dam is full, which is always good.

Our little road had turned into a creek….

The Council only graded this road about a week ago.  So much for all their work.

And our communal driveway will need a bit of work too….

Our last big wet was in December 2010 and you can read about it here and here and here.

Obviously, we have only been slightly inconvenienced by the weather, with a bit of road damage and dampness and the phone being out.

I grew up in a flood prone street and am fully aware of the anxiety that lots of rain causes and the horrible, slimy, smelly mess that needs to be cleaned up.  Fortunately, my parents were able to move to higher ground when I was in my early teens.  I do feel so much for the people who are badly effected in these events.  Let’s hope this rain stops soon without too many more people needing to be evacuated from their homes.