Australia Weather News

It was the "super-storm" that shocked the tight-knit rural town of Dungog, inland from Newcastle, on the morning of April 21, 2015.

More than 300 millimetres of rain rapidly fell on the town, and water from the Myall Creek rushed toward homes and businesses.

Three locals lost their lives: Colin Webb, 79, Robin MacDonald, 68, and Brian Wilson, 72.

Mr Webb and Mr Wilson died at the Alison Court aged care community, with a neighbour trying desperately to help.

Ms MacDonald died at her home on nearby Hooke Street.

"The loss is as immense today as it was 10 years ago," said Sarah U'Brien, who runs the local community centre and was at the forefront of its response in 2015.

"We sit with great loss and sorrow of what was taken from us so suddenly, but we also know that we came through this together.

"The true community spirit of Dungog shines ... it's one of optimism and hope."

Critical improvements

A 2017 coronial inquest into the deaths of Mr Wilson, Mr Webb and Ms MacDonald found the floods could not have been predicted.

Dungog Shire Council emergency management officer Tracey Lowrey, who has called Dungog home for four decades, said the region had learned about the importance of being prepared.

"I think overall, Dungog shire has come a long way," she said.

"We seem to have running [weather] events now ... before 2015, we would average maybe one event a year. 

"The ability to have networks and develop them within communities is really important for council and also for community."

She said there was a focus on establishing more community emergency networks across the region to make sure vulnerable and small towns were ready for future events.

NSW State Emergency Service Assistant Commissioner Nicole Hogan said all recommendations from the 2017 inquest had been implemented, including the installation of a flood monitoring system along the Myall Creek.

"The NSW SES also now has a dedicated meteorologist and a hydrologist from the Bureau of Meteorology based in our state operations centre permanently to aid with detailed observations and forecasts," she said in a statement.

Assistant Commissioner Hogan said the SES had carried out more training for volunteers and had improved the availability of emergency response crews and equipment in the Hunter.

She also said the service had "introduced the to better prepare and alert the community before, during and after disasters".

"The SES has worked closely with the Dungog Shire Council to finalise a Local Flood Emergency Sub Plan, outlining emergency management arrangements for prevention, preparation, response, and initial recovery for flooding in the region."

She said there were now 12 members assigned to the Dungog Unit, and they were actively recruiting for a new unit commander at Dungog.

Power of art

Art has played an important role in helping Dungog over the past decade.

The Project Bounce Forward exhibition was shown on the first anniversary of the flood in 2016.

Groups impacted by the flood, like the Alison Court community, chose words they felt reflected them and posed for photographs with them.

To mark the 10th anniversary, those photographs will be re-exhibited at the local library for a week.

"We wanted to recognise the pain, the trauma, the suffering and the deep loss that had been felt by so many, but we also really wanted to make sure that, from that, we grew," Ms U'Brien said.

"They are joyful photos. You can't help but smile with courage and pride of what our community went through and the grace and dignity that they created for themselves and others."

Dungog's Anglican Church will hold a community reflection and memorial service at 6pm this evening.