Forbes flood emergency sparks evacuation order for hundreds

Hundreds of Central West NSW properties have been affected as rising floodwaters sparked the evacuation of residents in the town of Forbes.

The State Emergency Service says Lachlan River has peaked, leaving at least 100 properties in the Forbes area affected by floodwaters.

BOM confirmed the river had peaked at 10.67 metres around 9.30pm on Sunday night, after an evacuation order was issued for the region on Saturday.

Low lying flooding has affected the CBD with concerns Lake Forbes, which runs parallel to the Lachlan River, will cause more problems for the region.

Evacuation orders are in place for much of Forbes, however some residents have chosen to remain in their homes.

236 residential properties were included in the evacuation order so far and the SES has received up to 2500 calls for help.

7 News understands 15-20 homes have been impacted by floodwaters, however the extent of the damage is yet to be determined.

It's believed around 50 people had registered for evacuation at a local high school.

Amy Whitfield took to Twitter to share a photo of her mum kayaking down the road out the front of their home in Forbes.

"So lucky our house is raised to deal with the river out the back," she wrote alongside the photo.

The State Emergency Service Acting Deputy Commissioner Mark Morrow said the SES was monitoring the situation closely.

Heavy rains saturated parts of Central West NSW overnight leaving the town of Forbes split in two as the Lachlan River peaked.

Dept Commissioner Morrow said there had been severe damage to farm crops and livestock in the region.

Emergency service workers were rushing to help property owners remove livestock.

The SES warned to expect problems with sewage and electricity supply in the Forbes area in coming days due to flooding.

Residents have been warned they may have to wait some days to be able to return home.

Dept Cmr Morrow urged the public to pay close attention to evacuation orders and warned the worst was yet to come with heavy rains set to continue through to Thursday.

Plenty of residents have opted to stay in their homes, waiting to see what happens next.

“It’s a dangerous place to be, although the river seems to have peaked overnight water will still rise around those properties,” Dept Cmr Morrow said.

“There is no way to get in and out to get supplies as we get into what will be a rolling series of floods over the coming weeks.”

Dept Cmr Morrow warned residents of surrounding areas were likely to also be affected by flooding in coming days and advised to take the opportunity to stock up on supplies.

Residents of Condoblin and Euabalong have been warned to monitor alerts as they were expected to be hit with the brunt of heavy rains by Friday.

Condoblin is expecting a flood peak of 7.3 metres in coming days and residents were warned to be vigilant.

“The dams are at capacity, they can’t take any more water,” he said.

The flooding has passed August 1990 levels, which saw 132 properties inundated.

On Sunday five Australian Defence Force vehicles were dispatched to assist in the emergency transport around Forbes.

NSW Deputy Premier Troy Grant warned the flooding would have a long-term impact on farming communities.

If your home has been inundated and you need assistance relocating please call 132 500. It is not safe to drive through floodwaters.

For SES updates on the Forbes flood situation click here.