Newcastle Flood (June 2007)

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Residents flee from flood to higher footing

Between 7-8 June 2007, Newcastle received some 200 mm of rainfall, leading to widespread flooding of roads, houses and parks. Several people were evacuated from their houses in North Hamilton and Wallsend, and drivers were rescued from their cars by local heroes and SES rescue crews. Flooding occurred throughout the Hunter and Central Coast, and the premier declared a natural disaster in these regions.

Some peoples' houses became a refuge to those who had parked their cars unwisely and found that it was bobbing away when they came back.

At the coast, Nobbys residents were shocked at the amount of sand blown onto roads and parks by the winds.

1 Ship runs aground
2 Events at Merewether High School and Melville Rd.
3 Weather data
4 The aftermath
5 Flood picture gallery
6 References

[edit] Ship runs aground

Pasha Bulker stuck at Nobbys [3]

At 9.30 AM on the 8th of June, a coal tanker called Pasha Bulker ran aground at Nobbys Beach. The ship was also carrying around 780 tonnes of oil in its hull, and damage to the hull led to maritime environmental concerns ^[1]. No significant amount of oil has, as such, leaked from the vessel. 22 crew members were airlifted to safety by helicopters.

Another ship, Sea Confidence, struggled to leave the harbour in the unrelenting surf and there were fears that she would run aground at Stockton Beach. The ship was aided to safety by a tug boat.

People look on at the trapped Pasha Bulker[4]

[edit] Events at Merewether High School and Melville Rd.

At lunchtime, Merewether High School students noticed a strangely large amount of water pooling in the quadrangle and back fields. The canal that runs parallel to the back fields was noticeably full; the water depth was higher than the students had seen it before:

Wow! The drain is full.

said Charlie Diesel Rogers, an expert in commentary.

That afternoon,

Drain water depth [had] returned to normal

said Shock Factor, another master of rhetoric.

Later, when Willem returned from school at around 5.00 PM, the canal had burst its banks and water had engulfed the sides of Melville Rd. The passenger side of his car was also full of water. After about an hour and a half, water had engulfed the driveways and stairs of residents of Melville Rd., and residents witnessed car after car attempt to drive through the flooded road, only to get water over their bonnets, causing their engines to stall. Water had claimed 3/4 of Myer Park and the Merewether High School field.

[edit] Weather data

Winds around 130 km/h were recorded on the 8th of June as the mini-cyclone passed. The waves associated with the grounding of the Pasha Bulker were said to be around 17 m high. The following weather data were recorded for Newcastle from 7th to 8th of June ^[2] ^[3].

Weather data for Newcastle. 7 June 2007 [1].

Weather data for Newcastle. 8 June 2007 [2].

[edit] The aftermath

This car got Pwned in the flood.

As a result of the flood,

Merewether High School was closed for three working days (12th-14th June inclusive) due to risks associated with returning to school. The following message was posted on the school website (under Breaking News):
- The school will remain closed to students on Thursday 14 June 2007 due to storm damage - the site is still too dangerous for students to be on site with a significant OH&S risk due to broken overhanging trees - details of when normal lessons will recommence will be posted on this site as soon as known - updated 2.20 pm - 13 June 2007
- On Thursday afternoon: The school will resume normal operations from 8.50am Friday 15th June - updated 2..48 pm - 14 June 2007
Many cars wouldn't start or are un-roadworthy, leading to copious amounts of insurance claims
Houses had to be stripped of carpet and furniture
82 schools across the Hunter were closed for at least one day after the flood

[edit] Flood picture gallery

Note: Thumbnails of Pasha Bulker from http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=173778

Winds up to 130 km/h buffeted the Pasha Bulker	Stranded Pasha Bulker	Waves around 17 m pounded the grounded coal/oil ship	Pasha Bulker at Nobbys
Pasha Bulker	Locals look on at the grounded ship	View from Nobbys	View from Nobbys
Pwned car