Tweed and Richmond Valleys bore the brunt of Debbie's deluge with record rain just before April Fool’s day on top of March rainfall four and five times above average. That result, combined with mountainous elevation, created havock.
Peter and Marissa McDonald, Murwillumbah, were trapped in their home - literally an island in the stream - as the Tweed River tore a temporary path to the sea, taking 30 of 70 Murray Grey breeding cattle. Six came back and seven are confirmed dead with the remainder unknown.
Breeders of endurance Arabian horses that have won fame in the Middle East, the McDonalds had not seen their river bank break for 20 years but when it did this time it arrived with unexpected force.
Horses were trapped in their stables and while two stallions and a mare swam out over the top rail two weaned foals could not and survived by swimming for 10 hours in water over their heads.
The stallions were washed into the same paddock as the mares and it wasn't long before they were fighting - in the midst of disaster. A third stallion tied to the stable screamed his indignity while cattle stepped on the lower rails and rested their heads on the upper timbers, gurgling, struggling to breathe.
Throughout Peter and Marissa held back tears, stunned at their inability to do anything to save their livestock as the river washed through their house to a depth of 400mm.
Peter’s uncle 83-Year old dairy farmer Pat McDonald, Murwillumbah, lost 16 stud jersey heifers destined for May sale when the Tweed River flowed 2.5m through his paddocks. Sub tropical rain washed down the sides of the Mt Warning caldera and met at Pat’s place.
But Thursday evening he looked out over his flood plain paddocks and only saw a sliver of reflection indicating water in the drain.
“The rain had eased,” he said. “I thought we’d get away with it.” The 83-year third generation farmer had a notion to open the gates and let his stud Friesan milking herd out of the dairy. His daughter Jennie convinced him otherwise which was just as well.
Before bed at 10.30pm Mr McDonald walked to the corner of Browns Lane to see if the Rous River was rising - his usual path of flood. There was bugger all water and he went back home. At quarter to midnight he checked again and found a 2.5m rise with water chest high through the dairy. In the end he got back half his missing heifers, destined for sale in May, but production has dropped by half in the past fortnight.
The sharply rising landscape does wonders for convection and the Mount Warning caldera is an excellent example, with water from this flood running in all directions. Lismore and Murwillumbah were the centres most affected and there was a lot of livestock in canefields both north and south.
Rainfall records for the highest daily downpour in March fell consistently across the path of Debbie on the Far North Coast with the Tweed Valley recording a higher flood than 1954 with a velocity that no one can recall. Springbrook, which drains out the Numinbah Valley to the Gold Coast, recorded 1400mm for March, 775mm in the last two days. Uki, which witnessed incredible carnage from the Upper Tweed, recorded 1087mm in the month and 600mm March 30-31.
Residents in many low lying areas were assaulted by chest deep water with the result that piles of chipboard, white goods and electrical luxuries - most uninsured - were heaped by the street after waters receded to become council landfill.
New daily records according to the Bureau: Uki: 1087mm for March; 404mm March 31. Kunghur: 930mm March; 413 March 31 Mullumbimby: 925mm for March; 362mm March 31 Springbrook: 1400mm for March; 500 March 31
The Upper Wilsons that feeds Lismore was not as terrific - below 1974 levels - but staggering none-the-less: Mullumbimby which gives an indication even if it does drain into the Brunswick recorded 925mm for the month and more than 600mm in the two days before the flood.
The headwaters of Myrtle Creek near Whiporie received as much rain as anywhere on the coast. DirtGirl producers Cate McQuillen and Hewey Eustance recorded 500mm in 24 hours and 800mm for the event and are struggling with the concept of filming 20 new episodes of their television show from their home base beginning this Friday.
Downstream - this area is mostly flat floodplain - Mogul Brahman stud’s new location at Leeville recorded a slow and steady rise that inundated sheds and encouraged manager Glen Pfeffer to stack the equipment he will need for next week’s Sydney Royal Brahman judging.
Townsfolk were the worst affected if you count possessions with a number of shops totally unprepared for the flood - or its aftermath. Seasoned veterans were much better prepared and followed the flood down with mops and brooms to ease the cleanup. But of course the last time Lismore flooded like this was 1989. And Murwillumbah’s event exceeded that of 1954 while nothing close has pummelled the place for more than 20 years.
Contact numbers for emergency support for fodder and other physical support 1300 795 299 For health and wellbeing and financial support 132 850. For storm damage SES 132500. To report stock lost or found, milk loss, production or fodder loss contact 1300795299.
Sour season falls on the coast
If the season for Far North Coast cropping wasn't challenged enough before ex-tropical cyclone Debbie it is certainly under the weather now.
A dry summer compromised soybeans on the Richmond with charcoal rot creeping Into the paddock - the disease only making itself known during pod fill. After the rains started in mid March the new issue become phytopthera.
Eltham based agronomist Tony Gordon said the season was particularly challenging – and frustrasting although late planted Hayman, Richmond, Bunya and Surf did alright, especially on the Tweed until Debbie.
At Mooball on the Tweed John Harbinger grows cane on peat soil flats drained by his great grandfather and he said Debbie produced a record high-velocity flood with stools ripped out of the ground, fences flattened and a lot of Brahman infused Murray Grey found amongst the cane when waters subsided.
Yugilbar Station manager Rob Sinnamon, Baryulgil, had a gut feeling about the season and didn't plant winter cash crops on the lower river banks - only fodder. As it was the Clarence escaped lightly in this latest event and pasture around Baryulgil is wonderful. Further east inundated paddocks face the threat of cool April weather and disease in cattle. If there is a glimmer of hope it is that the Bureau predicts a warm, dry run into winter.
On the lower Wilsons Stephen Boland returned home from the Casino sale with a top price and no time for celebration as standing water required the family to move Brahman/ Charolais to what little high ground there was.
The resulting flood was came mostly from the Lismore arm of the Richmond despite a big flood at Kyogle and while it was less than ’74 it came with a remarkable ferocity.
Tea tree will survive better than other crops but ‘doesn't like it’ according to oil producer and harvester Rodney Rose, Codrington, who said plantations will be knocked around by the inundation.
Older sugar cane should survive but new season crops stunted by the earlier drought will be susceptible while the winter rye plant has been delayed and producers are praying for a break before winter.
The resulting. ‘black water’ devoid of oxygen will further impact river health. The preceding inundation on the Richmond, confined mainly to the Bungawalbyn catchment, had just started to create a major fish kill event before Debbie arrived.