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October 20, 2026

Alert to clear gutters, drains ahead of more storms

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SES volunteers cleared many fallen trees and branches from roads across the Northern Rivers over the last weekend of September 2024 owing to storms that brought wind gusts of up to 100km/hour. PIC SES FB

State Emergency Services (SES) volunteers are urging people on the Northern Rivers to clear gutters and drains ahead of more expected storm activity.

An SES spokesman on Monday told The Echo an afternoon storm was predicted to bring between ten and twenty millimetres of rain to the region, adding to ‘very reactive catchments’ already saturated owing to the weekend’s weather.

Many residents would be returning to the region after the weekend, or if they had taken advantage of the Queensland school holiday period to travel, the spokesman said, and may be surprised at blockages created as a result of strong winds.

The SES had to arrange for specialist crane services across the Northern Rivers to remove fallen trees from roads over the weekend, the spokesman said.

Woman rescued near Uncle Tom’s pie shop

The intersection of Gulgan and Mullumbimby Roads is famous for at least two things: Uncle Tom’s pie shop and flash flooding.

More information was shared about five flood rescues that happened in the Tweed, Byron and Lismore local government areas.

A woman driving a hatchback car was rescued around ten pm Saturday after she tried to cross a section of road notorious for flash flooding near Uncle Tom’s pie shop at the intersection of Mullumbimby and Gulgan Roads.

Volunteers rescued a dog from flood waters in another low-lying area notorious for flash flooding near Corndale Road in Bexhill, between Clunes and Lismore.

Volunteers did not encounter any emergencies requiring hospitalisation but did help ambulance paramedics in the Tweed Shire around three am Sunday, the spokesman said.

The paramedics were responding to a medical emergency in Uki but could not safely risk reaching the patient owing to three metres of fast-flowing flood waters at a causeway en route.

The paramedics made the right decision not to attempt crossing the flood waters, the spokesman said, and to call the SES instead.

Ultimately, the patient was able to use telehealth services to address their concerns.



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