Surprise storm havoc

Meanwhile, the official Bureau of Meteorology weather station at Deniliquin Airport only managed to capture 35.8mm and west Deniliquin residents reported falls of about 50mm.

Whatever the final tally, it resulted in widespread localised flash flooding, prompting some road closures and a rapid response from emergency crews across the town.

Coming at the same time council has opened public consultation for its Major Overland Flood Flow Study - which looks at localised flooding specifically, and not river flooding - council can expect to receive some fresh feedback to help it understand flooding patterns and drainage capacity in Deniliquin.

SES Central Murray Cluster Commander Jodie Graham said the weather system began developing around 6pm, with incident calls escalating quickly from about 6.20pm.

East Deniliquin was hardest hit, with Edward River Council having to implement road closures in Wood St (between Napier and Edwardes), Napier St (from Wood St to the Cobb Highway) and Sloane St (from Napier St to Thomas Crt) to prevent people driving through floodwaters and creating wakes that were exacerbating flood impacts for residents.

Council said several other ‘Water over road’ and ‘local traffic only’ signs were placed in various affected areas too.

“Crews worked tirelessly into the night, remaining on the ground until close to midnight,” Ms Graham said.

“The majority of incidents involved pumping water from properties, distributing sandbags, and conducting welfare checks, especially for elderly residents who were among the most vulnerable during the event.

“Authorities are reminding motorists to exercise caution when driving through flood affected streets.

“Driving too quickly through water can create waves that push into homes and businesses, causing further damage to already impacted residents.

“The scale of the rainfall came as a surprise, with earlier forecasts indicating only a 60 per cent chance of between 1-5mm.

“The unexpected intensity placed significant strain on local resources, highlighting the unpredictable nature of severe weather events.”

Edward River Council director infrastructure Mark Dalzell said in addition to flash flooding on roads, council staff had to also contend with sewerage issues occurring in the Wood St area.

“The sewerage system backed up due to the amount of infiltration into the system,” he said.

“(Wednesday) indicates the system and road network can be overwhelmed by short, intense storms.

“Whilst the BoM recorded 35mm overall for the event, 20mm of this fell in less than an hour.

“We have also had unofficial reports of much higher rainfall levels overall, and we have received anecdotal information of falls up to 80mm.”

Council’s Major Overland Flood Flow Study aims to better understand how flash flooding behaves and to improve future flood planning and risk management.

It opened for public consultation only last week, after funding was received in late 2025.

Council has been seeking funding for the study since the 2023 flash flood, when a record 135.4mm fell in one day that year - on November 29. It caused significant flooding which hung around for days in some areas.

A survey to gauge flash flooding experiences is now open online.

Residents will also have a chance to provide feedback face-to-face at the first round of community consultations in Deniliquin on March 30.

These meetings will take place at Edward River Library, in Napier St, Deniliquin, from 2pm to 5pm.

Those attending in person are asked to complete their survey before the session.

Council has commissioned GRC Hydro to undertake the comprehensive overland flow flood study, which is a first assessment of its kind for the region.

Unlike riverine flooding - which has its own dedicated study - this investigation focuses specifically on flooding caused by heavy, localised rainfall that exceeds the town’s drainage capacity.

Residents are encouraged to share rainfall measurements, flood depth observations, photographs, and personal experiences from this week’s flash flooding event, the 2023 flood event and others.

The information gathered as part of the study process will help council plan safer development, inform emergency response strategies, and give communities clearer insight into their flood risks.

Residents may have already received information and a QR code for the survey through a letter box drop, or you can go to the ‘Have Your Say’ section at www.edwardriver.nsw.gov.au to provide input.