Life threatening flash flooding predicted as wild weather destroys Australia’s east coast

Some of Australia’s most tourist-friendly beaches have been destroyed by cyclonic winds, unprecedented rain and devastating surf conditions.

Just as the nation opens up following months of Covid restrictions, Australians have again been forced to reconsider their summer holiday plans. 

Holiday meccas like the Sunshine Coast, Byron Bay and the New South Wales north coast have been washed out as erosion destroys coastlines and cyclonic winds tear through communities.

Flood warnings remain in place for much of northern New South Wales, while Queensland emergency services have responded to more than 14,000 call outs this week alone.

Byron Bay’s famous coastline has eroded, as seen in these shocking drone images

Holiday meccas like the Sunshine Coast, Byron Bay and the New South Wales north coast have been washed out as erosion destroys coastlines and cyclonic winds tear through communities

Residents of Tumbulgum paddle their kayaks down a street in Northern NSW

An urgent warning has been issued for the Northern Rivers region, Mid North Coast and parts of the Hunter region with ‘life threatening flash flooding’ predicted.

Severe thunderstorms are likely to occur in the coming hours and are predicted to produce ‘intense rainfall that may lead to dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding,’ the Bureau of Meteorology reported. 

Motorists in Dorrigo were forced to find an alternate route on Tuesday after Waterfall Way was flooded.

The nearby waterfall overflowed onto the street, cutting off traffic.   

While the Sunshine State found reprieve by Tuesday afternoon when the skies cleared up, it mightn’t last long.

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate warned flooding could soon occur at places like Currumbin and Tallebudgera.   

“We’ve still got run-off of rain from the mountains coming down to the valley and the water can’t get away when there’s high tide because the water’s high at the seaway, so therefore potential for flash flooding in Currumbin and Tallebudgera area,” he said.

Froggies Beach in Coolangatta near the Gold Coast and NSW border experienced wild surf conditions

Sea foam lined beaches along the Queensland coast on Monday and Tuesday

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate warned flooding could soon occur at places like Currumbin and Tallebudgera

Locals assessed the damage at Duranbah Beach on the NSW North coast after wild weather conditions lashed the region

Beaches along the entire southeast coast line were lost to king tides even on Tuesday morning, from Noosa all the way down to Currumbin. 

Incredible footage showed the Currumbin Beach Vikings Surf Life Saving Club on the Gold Coast cut off from the land and surrounded by sea on Monday.

Giant waves tore away the low-lying isthmus that connected Elephant Rock against which the club was built from the mainland, cutting it off from the beach.

Both Queensland and New South Wales have been warned to expect ‘damaging winds and heavy rainfall’, with further coastal erosion and flooding expected. 

Residents around the northern NSW town of Murwillumbah have been ordered to evacuate as record-breaking heavy rains continue to inundate the area as well as southeast Queensland.

Motorists in Dorrigo were forced to find an alternate route on Tuesday after Waterfall Way was flooded. The nearby waterfall overflowed onto the street, cutting off traffic

A recent map shows how wild conditions are continuing to ravage the east coast of Australia

Tumbulgum resident paddles down the main street with his daughter following intense rainfall

Residents around the northern NSW town of Murwillumbah have been ordered to evacuate as record-breaking heavy rains continue to inundate the area as well as southeast Queensland

The State Emergency Service has ordered anyone from Condong to Tumbulgum and surrounding areas to leave via the Tweed Valley Way.

An SES spokesperson said the region has been deemed ‘a high danger area’ and about 1,000 properties are affected.

The order comes after the Tweed River burst its banks near Tumbulgum on Tuesday, with minor flooding in the area. Flash flooding has closed roads and isolated small communities.

The SES says electricity, phones, internet, water and sewerage could be interrupted, and people in those areas need to closely monitor the weather and road closures.

Energy provider, Essential Energy says more than 700 homes from Kempsey to the Queensland border are without power and crews are working to restore services, although flooding is restricting access to 120 homes.

Torrential rain with up to 200mm downpours will continue to sweep along Australia’s east coast well in to Tuesday, with showers forecast for the rest of the week 

The Currumbin Beach Vikings Surf Life Saving Club nestled against Elephant Rock on the Gold Coast. The ocean completely swallowed the tiny isthmus joining it to the mainland on Monday

The Bureau of Meteorology warned that major erosion that has hit the coast from Brisbane to Coffs Harbour will soon spread further south. 

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said weather experts had warned that La Nina would have an impact all over Australia.

‘So we need to expect the unexpected,’ she told ABC TV.

‘I’m hoping what we’ve seen in the last few days won’t be repeated frequently over summer, but it could. Our weather experts tell us we’re expecting conditions worse than what we’ve seen in quite a number of years.’

The State Emergency Service has now issued a flood evacuation warning for south Murwillumbah, Tumbulgum and surrounding areas after the Bureau of Meteorology predicted flooding for the Tweed River.

A flooded road at Tumbulgum, northern NSW on Monday. Southeast Queensland and coastal NSW is set to cop a drenching with more than 200mm of rain is forecast for parts as a slow-moving cold air mass settles in

Cars drive through a flooded road at Tumbulgum, in northern NSW on Monday

Beaches in Queensland were left covered in foam after the storm smashed the coast

NSW SES Assistant Commissioner Nicole Hogan said there had been more than 1,000 calls for help in the past few days.

‘There are no evacuations taking place at the moment. It is a warning for the community so that they can prepare to evacuate should the situation arise,’ she told ABC TV.

‘There was significant rainfall within the Tweed area last night. We’ve also had significant weather in Coffs Harbour and Lismore.

Conditions are expected to ease later on in the morning but there is the possibility of thunderstorms.

A family home on a farm was destroyed by a falling fig tree at Tintenbar, near Ballina on the NSW north coast (pictured) during the wild storms

The storm has caused carnage in Byron Bay in northern New South Wales, with sand banks destroyed as they eroded in deadly surf and high winds, ripping down trees (pictured on Monday)

Further south at Byron Bay, the tide peaked about 9.30am on Tuesday, with residents bracing for more carnage as waterfront homes cop a further battering.

A team of 300 SES workers from across the state had been sent to support the northern NSW teams, as well as resources from Fire & Rescue, NSW RFS and NSW Police to support of the operation.

‘They’ll be out there working with the community, giving them information. If required, flood rescue. And in other instances, perhaps looking at tarping roofs, storm damage requests,’ Ms Hogan said.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services deputy commissioner Mark Roche said his crews had received about 1,400 requests for help – mainly for leaking roofs, tarping and downed trees.

The wind and heavy rain was expected to ease, but he urged people to remain vigilant, stay out of floodwaters, drive with caution and turn back if they see a road or a bridge that’s flooded.

‘If it is flooded forget it,’ he told Nine’s Today show.

Queensland Police said Tamborine Mountain Road, known to locals as the goat track, will remain closed after boulders the size of trucks fell from the mountain and crashed onto the street below. 

Further south at Byron Bay, the tide peaked about 9.30am on Tuesday, with residents bracing for more carnage as waterfront homes cop a further battering. 

Tamborine Mountain Road at Mount Tamborine is currently closed due to a serious landslide that caused boulders to fall on the track 

Tamborine Mountain Road, locally known as the goat track, will remain closed after massive rocks fell from the mountain and crashed onto the street below

Sally Warren, a friend of the homeowner, set up a GoFundMe to help her friend after the fig tree smashed through her roof destroying her home (pictured)

A beach has been eroded away (pictured Monday) at Byron Bay with the local council worried about what the long-term damage might be

Abnormally high tides, dangerous surf and damaging winds would affect the coast from Rainbow Beach to Port Macquarie, he said. 

Huge seas of foam appeared on several Queensland beaches, with one woman on a Gold Coast beach even losing her dog, Hazel, in the white bubbles. 

A GoFundMe campaign was organised for a woman who lost her family’s home on their farm at Tintenbar, near Ballina on the NSW north coast.

A giant fig tree fell on the house during the torrential rain and dangerous winds.

Friend Sally Warren who organised the fundraiser uploaded pictures showing the roof ripped apart by the heavy tree trunk, with its roots torn from the sodden ground and hanging in the air.

In northern NSW, Byron Bay’s Main Beach was hit by king tides which ‘swallowed’ all of Main Beach, Weatherzone forecasters said.

A road sign is surrounded by flood water at Tumbulgum, northern NSW, on Monday 

Also at Byron Bay, a shipwreck off Belongil Beach was exposed by the giant tidal movements

Giant waves pushed by 100km/h winds hit the sandbag barriers that tried to protect it from erosion.

The top of the Byron Bay shipwreck, about 30m offshore at Belongil Beach, was exposed during the massive tidal movements, with the photo uploaded to discussion site Reddit on Monday night.

Byron Shire mayor Simon Richardson said he was worried about the long-term damage that might have been done to the coast, a key tourist drawcard for the region.

‘We know there’s still going to be another king tide and big weather over the next 24 hours … so at this stage we’re just waiting to see what the next salvo is,’ he explained. 

‘Then hopefully we can have the opportunity to see what sort of damage and what sort of price tag we’ve got.’ 

Byron Bay’s Main Beach (pictured) was one of the major casualties of the wild weather, with tides washing the beach away

A surfer climbs up an erosion-damaged beach at Byron Bay on Monday. Surfers have been warned to stay out of the water from Byron all the way south to the Illawarra on Tuesday

Cars drive through a flooded road at Tumbulgum, northern NSW on Monday. The Weather Bureau has warned drivers not to try their luck on flooded roads