Ghost town: Mass air evacuation as floods cut off roads - NEWS.com.au

Our reporter in the back of Bourke is almost caught in an inland sea.

Aerial photos of the flooded Murrumbidgee River near the NSW town of Wagga Wagga, where residents have been ordered to leave their homes as the rising waters threaten to overflow levees. Picture: Stuart Mcevoy Source: The Australian

NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell has declared a state of emergency for flood ravaged Wagga Wagga.

Mr O'Farrell visited the south-western NSW town today.

He announced on his return to Sydney that following a recommendation from the Natural Disaster Council he had declared a state emergency in what is the state's largest inland city.

About 9000 people have been evacuated from Wagga Wagga

with fears the flood levee, the city's last line of defence, will be breached by the Murrumbidgee River later today.

Earlier today NSW SES Commissioner Murray Kear said the river had continued to rise over the past 48 hours.

"It is still predicted to peak at 10.9 metres somewhere this afternoon, somewhere 12 and 3pm," he said.

"Which will be 0.1 of a metre below the top of the Wagga levy."

Premier Barry O'Farrell flew in early today to inspect the swollen river and the city's flood ravaged north.

He toured the banks of the Murrumbidgee and some of the city's four evacuation centres.

"From the air in particular North Wagga Wagga is a sad and sorry picture, with homes inundated," he said.

Aerial photos of the flooded Murrumbidgee River near the N.S.W. town of Wagga Wagga. Picture: Stuart Mcevoy

"What we're facing here in Wagga Wagga and what we're facing in other parts of the Murrumbidgee are problems that aren't going to go away immediately."

A mass evacuation of the city, in the state's southwest, and its suburbs was ordered on Monday night, with an estimated 8000 people leaving their homes.

There are four evacuation centres in Wagga Wagga.

This brought the total number of people evacuated because of floods across NSW to almost 13,000.

Mr Geske said more people would be evacuated from Urana, southwest of Wagga Wagga, on Tuesday.

"We will be evacuating more people by air, it's the only way to get them out, all the roads are cut and Urana is effectively isolated," he added.

The Riverina region and the state's central west continues to be the main focus for emergency services.

Overnight into Tuesday the SES received 1700 calls for help.

There were 10 flood rescues carried out.

Aerial photos of the flooded Murrumbidgee River near the N.S.W. town of Wagga Wagga. Picture: Stuart Mcevoy

In one case, SES volunteers helped rescue two adults, one infant, two horses, two dogs, two cats and 10 kittens from a single property.

NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell is due to tour Wagga Wagga on Tuesday.

The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast rain to ease across much of the state although authorities have warned rivers may still continue rise as water feeds into tributaries.

From food bowl to ghost town

The heart of Australia's food bowl resembles a cluster of ghost towns as the worsening flood crisis forced authorities to more than double the number of evacuations overnight.

More than 13,000 people have been forced to flee their homes, with the 8000 residents of central Wagga Wagga told to immediately evacuate shortly before 10pm after revised river level predictions indicated the town's levee wall could be breached early today.

The worst flooding to hit NSW in decades looks set to inundate several thousand homes in the town, with the Murrumbidgee River expected to reach 10.8m by 7am today - 10cm higher than the town's protective levee wall - with the possibility it could rise further.

Many homes and businesses are under water, cars have been washed away and paddocks resemble lakes.

But the scale of the devastation is yet to be realised because residents cannot reach their flooded homes.

Aerial photos of the flooded Murrumbidgee River near the N.S.W. town of Wagga Wagga. The Melbourne to Sydney XPT train scurries over the Murrumbidgee flood plain as the water continues to rise. Picture: Stuart Mcevoy

Meanwhile, an intense low developed off the southeast Queensland coast yesterday, with forecasters warning there was a 50 per cent chance of it becoming a cyclone.

Farmers are resorting to extreme measures to shift stock to higher ground - one in Wagga Wagga has housed 100 sheep on his front veranda.While rain eased in inland NSW yesterday, the flood crisis - which covers three states - worsened. A second man died when his car was washed off the road between Gympie and Maryborough yesterday.

About 13,000 people have been evacuated in NSW and 2000 more are isolated.

SES spokesman Phil Campbell said the Riverina was suffering because of flooding from rivers and overland flow. "Some say it's the worst flooding in decades for NSW," Mr Campbell said.

"There is no real doubt for those in North Wagga Wagga who will sadly have homes under water."

The town of Urana - including 16 nursing home residents - 100km southwest of Wagga Wagga, was evacuated by air.

The floods will disrupt essential services, including power and sewerage, for at least a week.

In Griffith, torrential rain flooded properties when irrigation channels overflowed.

At Gundagai, about 60 people were evacuated. Forbes has also become a concern as the Lachlan River swells.

Several towns recorded their highest eight-day rain totals, including Thredbo Village (432.4mm).

For help from the SES call 132 500. Call 000 in life-threatening emergencies

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