After Decade Of Drought, Near-Record Rains Swamping New South Wales Farmers & Ranchers

AS NSW counts the cost of crop losses, evacuations, and property destruction brought by flooding rains, communities are preparing to deal with the human side of the disaster.

The Macquarie River, which flows through the Warren Shire, has reached its highest level in 20 years after more than 100 millimetres of rain has fallen on the region in the past week. Water levels in Warren are expected to peak on Thursday at about 9.6 metres - 40 centimetres below the record set during the floods of 1955. More heavy rain is forecast.


''We're facing a huge issue at the moment,'' said the mayor of Warren Shire, Rex Wilson. ''The town itself is protected by a really good levy system. Our big concern is for the outlying landholders. Not only are they dealing with the flood, but they're also dealing with catastrophic grain losses.''

Farmers, initially buoyed by the rains that broke years of drought, are facing millions of dollars worth of crop damage. ''It is devastating,'' said Tony Wass, 67, who has been a farmer in Warren Shire all his life. ''For people having gone through a decade of drought, then to be looking at having one of the best harvests possibly ever, and then to have that snatched away - it's just heartbreaking.''

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http://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/towns-prepare-to-rally-around-devastated-farmers-20101206-18mxr.html