This weekend marks five years since Dubbo ground to a halt due to a once in a 30 year flood that caused widespread traffic chaos and millions of dollars worth of damage.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In the first week of December, 2010, Dubbo was hit with a deluge of water that resulted in the Macquarie River flooding up toward the CBD, forcing many businesses to close their doors as they were inundated with water.
Many residents suffered damage to their homes and property, and for the best part of a week people were continually venturing toward the bank to check out how high the water had risen to.
Dubbo City Council's director of technical services and Local Emergency Management Committee chairman Stewart McLeod was instrumental in dealing with the flood five years ago, and he reflected on Friday on what was an extremely busy time for himself and the city.
"The traffic chaos was the big eye opener," he said.
"It had been 20 years since a similar flood of that size and duration and in that time there had been so much growth in west Dubbo.
"The delays were amazing but usually you have six lanes going over the bridges and that was cut to two and clearly, six into two didn't go.
"Traffic was banked to the airport and up to Wheelers Lane."
The flood peaked at 9.7 metres (m) which was just short of the 1990 flood which peaked at 10.06m.
While the flood caused widespread damage to much of the Dubbo community, Mr McLeod can recall several moments that gave him some amusement during the difficult time.
"There were amazing pictures and you could see everyone in town were very interested in the flood," he said.
"I can remember seeing some people jet skiing around an intersection at the Newell Highway and Purvis Lane and it isn't everyday you see that.
"But if there is a positive to come out of the flood it was the state government's announcement to duplicate the LH Ford bridge which would help to cope next time a flood of that nature occurs."
