It is expected that that Premier Dominic Perrottet and Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke will tour flood-affected parts of the region throughout the day.

From Singleton Council:

DUNOLLY IS AN EVACUATED AREA

The Dunolly Bridge, Simpson Terrace and Bridgman Road areas are all CLOSED. Do not enter this area.

ROAD CLOSURES | Friday 8 July 2022

Our crews are regularly inspecting our local road network and the following roads, causeways and bridges are currently closed due to flash flooding.

We encourage everyone to please avoid all unnecessary travel and stay off the road if possible. If you do need to go out for essential reasons, check this Facebook page or Council's Disaster Dashboard for all road closures and drive very carefully.

This post will be updated throughout the day as more local roads are closed.

ROADS CLOSED

Current road closures as of 5:30am are:

Annes Lane between John Street and Ryan Avenue

Allan Bull Reserve + skatepark

Appletree Flat Road

Army Camp Road

Bathurst Street

Bishopgate Street, Singleton

Boonal Street

Boundary Street

Bourke Street

Bowden Street, Redbournberry

Bridgman Road between Blaxland Avenue and New England Highway

Broke Road, Broke

Broughton Street, Singleton

Cambridge Street

Carrington Street

Cemetery Lane, Whittingham

Charlton Road, Bulga

Church Street

Clydesdale Reserve

Combo Lane

Cook Park Carpark

Cranky Corner Road North

Dangar Road, Singleton

Darlington Road

Dights Crossing Road

Dr Maffey Drive

Dyrring Road @ 2nd Causeway

Elderslie Road

Gipp Street, Singleton

Glendon Lane

Glendon Lane, Bourkes Crossing

Glendon Road

Goorangoola Road 12km to causeway

Inlet Road, Bulga

Jones Reserve Road, Jerrys Plains

Kent Street

Lambs Valley Road, near Stanhope Road intersection

Lemington Road @ Moses Crossing

Market Street

Mitchell's Flat Road @ Griffiths Crossing

Myall Creek Road

New England Highway @ Pirtek Park,

New England Highway @ Mudies Creek

Oakley Lane, Broke

Patrick Street

Pearse Street, Jerrys Plains

Percy Street

Putty Road, Bulga

Putty Valley Road, Bpooty Bridge

Putty Valley Road, Gibbs Bridge

Range Road at New England Hwy Intersection

Raworth Street

Ryan Avenue between Ryan Avenue / John Street/ Hunter Street intersection and Burns Lane

Rose Point Park

Sewerage Works Lane

Simpson Terrace

Standen Drive, near Kirkton PS

Stanhope Road - Kilfoyes Bridge Intersection Lambs Valley Rd

Stanhope Road @ Moore's Corner

The Inlet Road

Waterworks Lane - including standpipe

William Street, Singleton

Wollombi Road @ Paynes Crossing Bridge

Wollombi Road, just near 60km zone at Broke

ROADS REOPENED

Edward Street

Kelso Street

Pioneer Road

Golden Highway @ Mudies Creek

Thursday 3pm

From Singleton Council:

ACCESS ROUTES TO LOWER HUNTER FROM SINGLETON

For those who need to leave Singleton for essential reasons and need to access Maitland and the lower Hunter, the following access routes are available.

If you do need to leave, please drive to conditions, exercise caution and allow plenty of extra travel time.

. To Hunter Expressway: White Avenue New England Highway through to Muswellbrook and Denman to Golden Highway

. To Maitland: Redbournberry Bridge Gresford Road Glendonbrook Road through to East Gresford, Vacy, Paterson and beyond

We ask everyone to please obey road signage, and even if there is no road closure signs, if there is water over the road, it's flooded - so forget it.

Thursday 12pm

Evacuation orders have been lifted according to Singleton Council.

The NSW SES advises you may now return safely to the following area:

Singleton township

-Flood levels have dropped but you should take care when returning to the areas as flood damage can be widespread and utilities may not be in service.

What you need to do:

- Drive slowly, plan your route carefully to avoid any flooded roads and allow extra travel time. Damage to roads and buildings caused by flooding may still exist in your area.

- Remain vigilant as there could still be water in low lying areas.

- Take care as local roads could still have water over them.

If your property has been affected by floodwater:

. Make sure your property is safe before entering. Check for damage to windows, walls and the roof and be careful of potential dangers including asbestos

. Make sure the electricity and gas is turned off before going inside. Use a torch to carry out inspections inside buildings

. If power points, electrical equipment, appliances or electrical hot water systems have been exposed to floodwater or are water damaged in any way, they must be inspected by a qualified electrician before use

. Gas appliances and gas bottles that have been exposed to floodwater should be inspected for safety before use

. Wear suitable protective clothing, including boots and gloves when cleaning up

. Be aware of any slip, trip or fall hazards

. Never eat food which has been in contact with floodwater

. Only use clean utensils and personal items

. Have a supply of fresh drinking water

If you require the delivery of essential supplies due to being isolated or assistance with clean out, please call 13 77 88 and log your request for assistance.

For emergency help in floods and storms, call the NSW SES on 132 500. In life-threatening situations, call Triple Zero (000) immediately

Thursday 11.30am

According to the Bureau of Meteorology, the Hunter River was at 13.69 metres at 7.30am and described as falling. The height will likely be updated at 2pm.

Thursday 7am

According to the Bureau of Meteorology, the Hunter River was at 13.71 metres at 3.45am and described as steady. The height will likely be updated at 9am.

Road closures remain in place for:

Allan Bull Reserve + skatepark

Appletree Flat Road

Army Camp Road

Bathurst Street

Bishopgate Street, Singleton

Boonal Street

Boundary Street

Bourke Street

Bowden Street, Redbournberry, Singleton

Bridgman Road

Bridgman Road between Blaxland Avenue and New England Highway

Broke / Cessnock Road

Broke Road, Broke

Broughton Street, Singleton

Cambridge Street

Carrington Street

Cemetery Lane, Whittingham

Cessnock Road, Broke near Wollombi Road intersection to Hermitage Road

Charlton Road, Bulga

Church Street

Clydesdale Reserve

Combo Lane

Cook Park Carpark

Cranky Corner Road North

Dangar Road, Singleton

Darlington Road

Dights Crossing Road

Dr Maffey Drive

Dyrring Road @ 2nd Causeway

Elderslie Road

Gibbs Bridge, Putty Valley Road

Gipp Street, Singleton

Glendon Lane - near Whitefalls

Glendon Lane, Bourkes Crossing

Glendon Road

Golden Highway @ Coolmore Stud

Golden Highway @ Mudies Creek

Goorangoola Road 12km to causeway

Inlet Road, Bulga

Jones Reserve Road, Jerrys Plains

Kelso Street and adjoining streets

Kent Street

Lambs Valley Road, near Stanhope Road intersection

Lemington Road @ Moses Crossing

Market Street

Mibrodale Road, Broke

Milbrodale Road - entire length

Mitchell's Flat Road @ Griffiths Crossing

Myall Creek Road

New England Highway @ Pirtek Park,

New England Highway @ Mudies Creek

Oakley Lane, Broke

Patrick Street

Paynes Crossing

Pearse Street, Jerrys Plains

Percy Street

Pioneer Road

Putty Road, Bulga

Putty Road, Glenridding

Putty Valley Road, Bpooty Bridge

Putty Valley Road, Gibbs Bridge

Range Road at New England Hwy Intersection

Rose Point Park

Sewerage Works Lane

Simpson Terrace

Standen Drive, near Kirkton PS

Stanhope Road - Kilfoyes Bridge Intersection Lambs Valley Rd

Stanhope Road + Lamb Valley Road, Kilfoyles

Stanhope Road @ Moore's Corner

The Inlet Road

Waterworks Lane - including standpipe

William Street, Singleton

Wollombi Road @ Paynes Crossing Bridge

Wollombi Road, just near 60km zone at Broke

York Street

Wednesday 5:00pm

Road closures in Singleton

Broughton St

Bowden St

Combo Lane

Bourke St

Gipp St

Dangar Rd

Carrington St

Boundary St

Kelso and surrounding streets

Raworth St

Darlington Rd

Simpson Terrace.

Wednesday, 3pm:

AUSGRID has warned it is on standby to shut off the power supply to Singleton if conditions worsen.

With potential evacuation warnings in place, Ausgrid has advised the community to be prepared for the power supply to be turned off at short notice.

"Power supply may need to be shut off as flood waters on live electrical assets can pose significant community safety risks," it said in a statement.

"Please ensure your devices are charged and follow the instructions of the SES and emergency responders.

"Remember, there are no second chances with electricity. Fallen powerlines may be hidden by flood waters.

"Proceed with caution and always assume a fallen wire is live, stay at least eight metres away and call Ausgrid on 13 13 88."

It comes as the New England Highway has been closed to light vehicles in both directions at Singleton.

Motorists travelling southbound are being diverted at White Avenue and can use Blaxland Avenue and Bridgeman Road to Obanvale.

From there, drivers can use Retreat Road, Dyrring Road and Gresford Road to join Queen Street at Singleton.

Vehicles travelling northbound are being diverted at Pitt Street and can use John Street to travel to Queen Street and Gresford Road.

From there, they can use Dyrring road and Retreat Road to join Bridgman Road at Obanvale.

For more updates visit Live Traffic NSW.

Ausgrid will continue to provide updates through its websites, social media pages and SMS.

All registered life support customers are being urged to enact their Plan B.

Members of the community should switch off power points and unplug devices and appliances from the wall if their property has not been flooded.

If the property has been impacted by water, it is not recommended to approach the main switchboard as it can cause a shock under fault conditions if touched.

UPDATE Wednesday, 12pm:

Singleton Council update

With the floodgates now closed and heavy rainfall likely to continue, low-lying areas of downtown Singleton are currently experiencing local water inundation.

Fire & Rescue NSW station 444 Singleton are currently providing assistance to pump water over the levy bank to provide some reprieve to Council's stormwater network.

Sandbags are available in the Singleton Council carpark, located on the corner Queen Street and Civic Avenue.

With many local roads impacted, motorists are advised to obey all road closure and detour signage, and to avoid unnecessary travel within Singleton's town centre.

Residents and businesses in Singleton Heights, Hunterview and Maison Dieu are being asked to limit water usage.

With recent rainfall and rising river levels, Council's sewerage infrastructure is currently being inundated with stormwater. A number of sewer pump stations are at risk of inundation by the rising water levels and as a result may no longer be operational or need to be switched off to protect infrastructure.

Council is working to deploy temporary infrastructure protection measures to prevent sewer overflows but we are asking residents and businesses, particularly those in Singleton Heights, Hunterview and Maison Dieu, to please turn off pool backwashing and limit the use of washing machines, showers and toilets to reduce the load on the system until further notice.

If the weather conditions continue, there is a possibility that sewage will back up within the system and may overflow at manholes and in backyards. It is a timely reminder to not swim through floodwater due to potential for sewage contamination.

Wednesday, 10.30am:

Evacuation orders are in place for the Bulga, Broke, Combo, Whittingham, Scotts Flat, Glennriding and Dunolly areas.

An evacuation warning is in place for the Singleton township.

What the SES is expecting

Moderate flooding is occurring at Singleton, with major flooding likely.

What you need to do

People in areas likely to be impacted by flooding in Glenridding, Dunnolly, Combo, Whittingham and Scotts Flat Road areas need to have an evacuation plan.

People in areas likely to be impacted by flooding should consider:

For emergency help in floods and storms, call the NSW State Emergency Service on 132 500. In life-threatening situations call triple zero (000) immediately.

Wednesday, 9am:

The NSW State Emergency Service has issued an evacuation warning for the Singleton township.

The warning calls for residents to monitor the evolving flooding situation and to be prepared to evacuate if instructed to do so.

"A Flood Evacuation Order will be issued by the NSW SES if and when evacuations are required," Hunter NSW SES advised on Wednesday morning.

The evacuation warning comes as the Bureau of Meteorology predicts increased flooding along the Hunter River for the Singleton area, exceeding the major flood levels experienced in March 2022.

"As a result, residents and visitors to these areas should take action now to prepare for possible flood impacts," Hunter NSW SES said.

"NSW SES is advising residents in low lying areas of the following locations that they may need to evacuation due to rising flood water."

Where to go if evacuation is required

Wherever possible, people should go and stay with family or friends, or make other accommodation arrangements.

An evacuation centre has been set up at Singleton Diggers, Dorsman Drive, Singleton Heights.

Evacuation with COVID

If you are currently in self-isolation due to COVID-19, contact the Public Health Unit on 1300 066 055 before leaving your location, where possible.

What Hunter SES is expecting

Once floodwater begins inundating the area, road access may be cut. If you remain in the area after this time, you may become trapped and it may be too dangerous for NSW SES to rescue you.

What you need to do in preparation for evacuation

Earlier Wednesday, 8.30am:

Singleton's Mayor has reached out to the community during the area's major weather event. You can read it here.

The SES have described the flooding in Wollombi Brook as the highest since 1952.

And the expected water level for the Hunter River at Singleton this afternoon will exceed those recorded in March this year of 13.40m. In November 2021 the river reached 12.3m.

Bridgman Road is closed northbound traffic trying to access Singleton Heights, Hunterview and rural areas beyond Bridgman Road should use the alternate route.

Access starts at Boundary Street, followed by Queen Street, Dyrring Road, Retreat Road and then onto Bridgman Road.

Heavy rainfall since Sunday morning has caused river level rises across the Hunter River catchment.

Significant river level rises have been observed along Wollombi Brook, where major flooding is occurring above March 2022 flood levels at Wollombi and Bulga.

River level rises are expected to continue during Wednesday morning and levels at Bulga may reach 8.40 metres, with major flooding. This is the highest recorded level since 1952. Further rises possible, with forecast rainfall.

Along the Lower Hunter River at Singleton, moderate flooding likely from Wednesday morning, with major flooding possible at Singleton from Wednesday afternoon.

River levels are expected to exceed March 2022 flood levels from late Wednesday afternoon and may reach 13.60 metres. Further rises possible, with forecast rainfall.

Minor flooding and renewed rises are occurring at Maitland, with moderate flooding possible from Wednesday afternoon.

Further rainfall is forecast for Wednesday, which may cause further river level rises and prolonged flooding. This situation is being closely monitored, and revised predictions will be provided as necessary.

Major flooding is occurring along the Wollombi Brook.

The Wollombi Brook at Wollombi may reach around 14.40 metres early Wednesday morning, with major flooding. Further rises possible, with forecast rainfall.

The Wollombi Brook at Bulga is currently at 8.13 metres and rising, with major flooding (above March 2022 and March 2021 levels). The Wollombi Brook at Bulga may reach around 8.50 metres early Wednesday morning, with major flooding. Further rises possible, with forecast rainfall.

Minor flooding is occurring along the Lower Hunter River at Singleton and Maitland. Major flooding is likely at Singleton. Moderate flooding is possible at Maitland.

The Hunter River at Singleton is likely to reach the moderate flood level (11.50m) early Wednesday morning. The river level is likely to exceed the major flood level (13.00m) Wednesday afternoon and may reach around 13.60 metres Wednesday evening, with major flooding. Further rises possible, with forecast rainfall.

From Singleton Council: Crews are inspecting the local road network this morning and the following roads, causeways and bridges are currently closed due to flash flooding.

Please note the Singleton Disaster Dashboard does not seem to be updating. Please note the below road closures:

Due to the current flooding event, Rose Point Park, Cook Park, Civic Park and Allan Bull Reserve and Skate Park are now closed until further notice. All sporting fields are also closed.

Due to the weather event and impacts on availability of staff, the following Council facilities will be closed from Wednesday, until further notice: