It was not only houses and businesses that were flooded in Bulahdelah.  The outskirts of town, where cattle properties are situated on Booral Road, Emu Creek Road and Lowrey’s Road, experienced flooding from the Crawford River.

The Crawford River flooding came with little warning in the early hours of Tuesday morning, 21 April and rose to record-breaking levels.

Jack Ireland, a local Bulahdelah resident aged 92, commented that he has never seen water anywhere near the levels of the Crawford River that was experienced this past week.

This flooding resulted in cows trying to swim to higher ground, greeting their owners at the back door or being swept downstream.

Approximately 30 cattle ended up at a Lowrey’s Road property and had to be collected.

Meredyth Rae commented that one cow ended up all the way down the Myall River, which the Crawford River feeds into, and went under the Bulahdelah Bridge and ended up at a property near the houseboats.

“This shows how much speed and  increased volume of water was in the Crawford River.”

Many fences have been damaged and property owners are working hard to relocate cattle and rebuild.