Maitland's flood gates have been closed and sandbagging has started near Maitland Railway Station to manage threatening floodwaters.
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The Hunter River at Maitland is tipped to exceed a moderate flood level of 8.90 metres tonight at the Belmore Bridge and reach 10m tomorrow.
SES Incident Controller David Monk, told ABC Radio that level could increase with more rain forecast overnight and flood waters making their way downstream from the Upper Hunter.
Major flooding at Singleton is expected to rise well above levels that peaked in March 2022, the State Emergency Service said in a statement Wednesday night.
The Hunter River at Singleton may reach around 13.80 metres, as Maitland was struck by flooding, and the river at Bulga reach the highest recorded level since 1952.
The Hunter River at Belmore Bridge, at Maitland, peaked at 7.09 metres around 6pm Monday in a minor flood event, but could reach 10 metres Thursday as renewed rises occur.
The Hunter River at Raymond Terrace, meanwhile, was expected to exceed the minor flood level around 6pm. The river level may reach around 2.70 metres Wednesday evening, the SES said.
Residents have been advised to stay out of rising waters and to seek refuge at higher ground where necessary, move vehicles under cover and away from likely flood areas, and to never drive, ride or walk through flood water.
Drivers have been diverted via the Putty Road after the the Golden Highway has been closed in both directions between New England Highway and Range Road owing to flood waters blocking the way. And at Singleton, a heavy tow vehicle was called to Castlereagh Street after reports a b-double became stranded on the median strip just past the intersection.
Further rainfall was forecast for the remainder of Wednesday and into Thursday, before clearing Friday.
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Donna Sharpe
Donna Sharpe is a multi award winning journalist who has covered news across Newcastle and the Hunter for 40 years. She started her cadetship with The Maitland Mercury in 1981 and in 1995 moved to The Newcastle Herald where she spent 17 years covering local government, crime and general news. She returned to The Mercury in 2015 and has been editor since July 2021.
Donna Sharpe is a multi award winning journalist who has covered news across Newcastle and the Hunter for 40 years. She started her cadetship with The Maitland Mercury in 1981 and in 1995 moved to The Newcastle Herald where she spent 17 years covering local government, crime and general news. She returned to The Mercury in 2015 and has been editor since July 2021.
Simon McCarthy
Simon McCarthy is a journalist working at the Newcastle Herald in NSW. He writes news and features, and produces video and multimedia, for the Herald and Herald Weekender magazine. He contributes regularly to the Newcastle Herald’s daily Topics column, and is the co-creator and producer of the Toohey’s News podcast. McCarthy has worked as a journalist in regional NSW since 2013. He joined the newsroom of the Newcastle Herald in 2017 from the Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he worked from 2015 to 2016.
Simon McCarthy is a journalist working at the Newcastle Herald in NSW. He writes news and features, and produces video and multimedia, for the Herald and Herald Weekender magazine. He contributes regularly to the Newcastle Herald’s daily Topics column, and is the co-creator and producer of the Toohey’s News podcast. McCarthy has worked as a journalist in regional NSW since 2013. He joined the newsroom of the Newcastle Herald in 2017 from the Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he worked from 2015 to 2016.
