This week marks one year since record floods devastated Tasmania.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The surge was declared a national disaster, and claimed the lives of three people, at Evandale, Latrobe and Ouse.
Homes, land and livestock were lost, river courses were forever changed, and reparation work is still underway in many affected areas.
Parts of Latrobe, Newstead, Ouse, and the Meander Valley were evacuated, and farms along the rivers were destroyed.
On Tuesday, it will be one year since the worst day of the June 2016 deluge.
Hundreds of SES volunteers and members of the community worked day and night to rescue people, livestock and homes.
There were more than 100 properties flooded, at least 100 people rescued, and towns inundated. Roads and railway bridges were destroyed and hundreds of homes were without power across the North and North-West.
Many people are still dealing with the destruction, and some landowners are still waiting to find out if they will receive grants to repair the damage on their properties.
The bridge at Merseylea over the Mersey River was only just replaced last month, with Native Plains Road being inaccessible for nearly a year.
The Mersey was the most affected river system, made vulnerable by pockets of floodplains, with bridges being washed away, paddocks ripped apart and homes destroyed. Thousands of rocks were dropped on properties along the river by the powerful water.
Following a flight over the state’s North and North-West in October last year, waterway expert Alluvium director Ross Hardie said areas worst-hit by flood-related erosion were generally confined by valleys.
Among some of the other devastation was a farm at Circular Head losing 200 cows in freak flash flooding, and Charles Street being closed, with emergency floodgates installed at Launceston.
This week The Examiner will revisit some of the areas that were most affected by the floods, and talk to people about their experiences during that week last June, and in the aftermath of the disaster.
Timeline of key flood events
Sunday, June 5
Heavy rains fall across the state. Flood warnings begin.
Monday, June 6
8.55am Parts of Bass Highway impassable due to flooding
9.45m North Esk River reached record flood levels
11.30am Schools and care facilities evacuated
12pm Several houses in East Launceston inundated. A woman from Latrobe and a man from Ouse missing in floodwaters
12.20pm Major flood warnings for six rivers
9pm More than 100 people have been rescued and more than 100 properties have been inundated
Tuesday, June 7
7.30am A man and a woman swept away at Evandale
11am Body of latrobe woman recovered
12.30pm Longford residents evacuated
6.20pm Invermay residents recommended to evacuate
8pm Charles Street bridge closed and floodgates raised
Wednesday, June 8
7am Invermay braces for morning peak
10.30am Trevallyn’s flood levels peak
