That Lismore City has flooded a second time in 31 days is a surprise to no-one except perhaps the Perrottet and Morrison governments

 

Lismore Levee
IMAGE: ABC News 30 March 2022

The Wilsons River at Lismore began flooding again at 4.43am on Tuesday 29 March 2022. This is the second flood in thirty-one days - the first setting a flood record on 28 February 2022 when it peaked at 14.4m causing widespread devastation from which Lismore City Local Government Area is yet to recover. 

This should have come as no surprise to federal and state government cabinet ministers ensconced in Canberra and Sydney, as Lismore has a history of two floods in a year dating back almost as far as records have been kept.

However, the unfolding official response to this second flood event is almost as fractured and leaderless as the first. Once more communities are coping with just the assistance of local emergency services already stretched thin by the first flood's aftermath.

According to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology at 2:10 am EDT on Thursday, 31 March 2022:

River level peaks were observed along the Wilsons River at Woodlawn around 3pm Wednesday and along Leycester Creek at Tuncester around 8pm Wednesday. 

A major flood peak of 11.40 metres was observed at Lismore around 5pm Wednesday. 

River levels along the Wilsons River at Lismore are likely to remain above the height of the levee during Thursday morning with major flooding, before easing further during the afternoon. 

Flood waters along the Richmond River combined with inflows from the Wilsons River have resulted in major flooding along the Richmond River at Coraki and Bungawalbin. Moderate flooding is occurring at Woodburn with major flooding possible. The main flood peak at 13.81m passed through Kyogle Wednesday night and is now approaching Casino where minor flooding is possible. 

 At 2:11am on Thursday 31 March 2022 the Wilsons River water level was recorded at 11.12m and rising and at 3am the Richmond River at 13.27m (Kyogle) and 11.70m (Casino). 

This could not be happening at a worse time in the history of Lismore City with a manifestly incompetent mayor at the helm of a new council and, state and federal governments more focussed on politics surrounding the forthcoming federal general election than they are on climate change-induced adverse weather events causing widespread regional flooding or the plight of the thousands of flood victims.