Police have found woman “safe and well” after a car was swept off a flooded causeway near Mudgee, in NSW’s Central West last night.
More than a dozen flood warnings are in place across multiple states after a complex low pressure system swept east, battering the country with heavy rain and extreme winds.
Police said they were called to Macdonalds Creek, near Lower Piambong Road in Erudgere, last night after receiving reports a vehicle had been swept into the causeway.
When the car was found without a driver, a desperate search was launched.
It resumed this morning, with police soon “notified a 59-year-old woman sought assistance at a nearby property in Piambong.”
She has been taken to Mudgee Hospital for assessment.
A recovery mission is underway to recover her vehicle.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said between 50mm and 99mm of rain has fallen over parts of NSW since 9am yesterday.
A dozen flood warnings are in effect for NSW, with drivers urged to take extreme care.
“People are encouraged to continue to monitor warnings,” BoM said.
“Damaging winds remain possible in parts of the southeast.”
A series of destructive low pressure systems have been sweeping east since Monday, causing havoc across southern Australia.
It was NSW’s turn to batten down the hatches yesterday as the intense rain band swept east.
Heavy rain pounded the state’s snowfields, turning powdered snow into sludge and transforming once tranquil creeks into raging rivers.
Perisher Creek, near Australia’s largest and second-highest and most popular ski area, spilled it’s banks.
Thredbo received 63.8 mm of rain to 9am yesterday and a further 47.6 mm between 9am to 4pm.
The popular ski resort was forced to close its lifts amid safety concerns.
High totals were also seen at Perisher.
Up to 64mm fell to 9am and a further 53.8mm was recorded between 9am to 4pm.
Senior Bureau Meteorologist Jonathan How said conditions will start to “ease off” today, but showers will continue across much of the south-east into the weekend.
“We do see that cold front push into the Tasman Sea,” he said.
“But showers and rain will push to north east NSW and southern Queensland.
“Across the south east a number of troughs will maintain those cold, blustery and showery conditions”.
More snow is likely to fall over the alpine regions from today, repairing some of the rain damage.
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