March 2021 flood anniversary: One year on from the Port Macquarie-Hastings 2021 flood

Livestock, homes, businesses and livelihoods were destroyed and damaged as floodwater inundated the region following intense rain.

Communities in Taree, Kempsey and Port Macquarie experienced some of the worst flooding seen in the area in 53 years.

One year on, the community continues to recover from the natural disaster as the Northern Rivers region begins the long road to recovery following their recent devastating floods.

The worst day of the March 2021 floods on the Mid North Coast was on Saturday, March 20. Thousands of residents were stranded as widespread inundation of the Port Macquarie-Hastings occurred.

The Hastings River surged into Short Street, Clarence Street and key roads into Port Macquarie were cut off.

Residents in communities across the Hastings, including Telegraph Point, Laurieton, North Haven, Dunbogan, Rollands Plains, Wauchope, Hacks Ferry, Ballengarra, Pappinbarra, Comboyne and Kendall were isolated as torrents of floodwater inundated the area and cut off access to main roads.

Thousands of residents were without power, some people had to be airlifted from their homes which were under water. Stock was lost in swollen rivers while families on other properties required fuel for generators as power outages impacted the region.

Stories from our March 2021 flood coverage:

Throughout the heartbreak and devastation, the community spirit began to shine through. Stories of bravery and rescues started pouring in.

One of the selfless residents who stepped up to help the community was Steve Manton. Steve was instrumental in assisting Fire and Rescue crews evacuate numerous elderly residents from the flooded Riverside Residential Village on Hastings River Drive in his oyster punt on Saturday, March 20, 2021.

"The river came up on the Friday night very quickly and our house on Hastings River Drive got flooded as well," he said.

Mr Manton is an oyster farmer and had gone out on his boat on the Saturday morning to check one of his commercial vessels.

"I was down near the Hibbard Ferry and I was going up around the corner where the traffic lights are at the airport turnoff. I was actually in the boat on the road, that's how high the water was," he remembers.

"Two Fire and Rescue fellows asked me if I could help them. It was luck that I happened to be there at the right time to give them a hand."

Mr Manton said the Fire and Rescue boat could only rescue one or two people at a time.

"They told me there was numerous people they needed to rescue.

"There were plenty of people who were caught by the floodwaters overnight and needed to get out."

He remembers going from house to house with the Fire and Rescue crew to assist in rescuing over 40 people.

While Mr Manton was helping rescue others, his own home was inundated with floodwater.

"The water had come up to our place before, but nothing to the level we experienced last year. It was quite distressing seeing the impact it had on our place and everyone else who was close to the river," he said.

"We couldn't get back into our home for almost a week once the water subsided and almost all of our white goods were destroyed, along with bedding and clothes. The only things we saved were some items that were really high in the house and our cars.

"We put things on top of kitchen tables thinking they would be alright, but they weren't. The water came a lot higher than that."

Mr Manton also recognised that while it is one year since floods impacted the Hastings region, the community is thinking of residents in the Northern Rivers during this time.

"I sympathise with the people up in Lismore. It is a terrible thing to happen to you because everything is covered in that fine silt. I'm still washing silt out of things a year later.

"It just goes through everything."

For the past year, residents and Port Macquarie-Hastings Council have faced a difficult and long road to recovery.

Council recognises the recent weather event in the north of the state has brought back a lot of memories for residents on the Mid North Coast.

It was an event that will forever be etched into our collective memories, and it is important that we acknowledge the effort of many in our community who went above and beyond to support one another.

"While it's only been 12 short months, for many it still feels like only yesterday since that devastating Friday which saw our region battered by weather the likes of which we've never seen before," mayor Peta Pinson said.

"Seeing the devastation of last week's floods on the north coast brought up so many emotions for many in our community. While we remember how hard it was, and still is, we aren't alone. Our community stands united with our northern neighbours who have experienced significant grief and devastating loss.

"We won't forget just how hard it was for us then, and how hard it is for them now."

This time last year, Port Macquarie-Hastings Council staff joined the flood recovery efforts alongside emergency services personnel, stepping in to support the initial flood relief-turned-recovery effort.

Stories from our coverage of flood recovery efforts in 2021:

One year later and council has completed works on 539 of the 1000-plus impacted locations, at a cost of more than $19 million so far.

The damage bill from the initial emergency relief works was in excess of $13 million, with a further $72 million expected for the longer-term and major repairs. However, a second weather event in November 2021 and another in February 2022 have added to these works.

Over the next 12 to 24 months, council will be working tirelessly to repair the remaining 42 per cent of locations still outstanding, and return the community to its pre-flood state.

Mayor Pinson said council was pursuing every funding opportunity available through government partners to help finance the works completed to date and those still outstanding.

To help the community follow the flood recovery journey, council will be launching a website detailing the works completed to date, still in progress and those yet to commence.

While council acknowledge that there is still a long way to go, they hope that more favourable weather and additional funding from government agencies will help advance the goal of repairing the region as quickly and safely as possible.

"It has been, and will continue to be, an uphill climb, and I stress that to those still struggling, support is still available through a number of different agencies, including Resilience NSW and other accredited charitable organisations providing people with the assistance they need to get back on their feet," mayor Pinson said.

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