A house on the Hawkesbury River in north-west Sydney has partially collapsed into a 6-meter-deep hole during a landslide, after flooding flooded the area last week.
Key points:
- The 53-year-old property owner says the house has been flooded five times in two years
- The NSW State Emergency Service has cordoned off the area
- Last week, the Hawkesbury River experienced its biggest flood since 1978
Part of a room and the roof of the wooden house in Richmond Lowlands was torn down when the floor gave way around 10 a.m. Monday.
The wood and iron are now found in a crumpled pile halfway up the steep slope to the hole, held in place by electric cables, while other remains have been dragged down the river.
The 53-year-old property owner, Mike, lives in another house about 150 yards away and said he felt the ground move.
The homeowner said the ground was moving “like an earthquake”. (ABC News)
“The noise, like an earthquake and I could feel the vibration,” he said.
“I didn’t recognize the landscape. The truck was gone, the trees were gone, my fence was gone. I couldn’t believe what I saw.”
The State Emergency Service (SES) has cordoned off the area, about 100 meters long and approximately the size of the damaged house.
This is the third time the riverfront property has been flooded this year. (ABC News)
Mike said there was no one living in the house at the time, but that he was willing to prevent the hole from expanding and swallowing the house completely.
“The next shower is coming, my house will be gone. I wonder what will be done now,” he said.
“There you can put stones, a couple of meters of rock. This house can be saved.
“It’s not easy, it will cost millions.”
The owner says it will cost millions to save the house. (ABC News)
Mike said the landslide that damaged his home came after another Sunday, which had also sucked some outdoor equipment into the Hawkesbury River.
He said it was the third time his riverfront property had been flooded this year and the fifth in two years.
The Hawkesbury River experienced its largest flood since 1978 last week when it reached a maximum of 13.93 m, 13 cm higher than the March 2022 peak.
Posted 1 hour, 1 hour ago, Tuesday, July 12, 2022 at 4:02 AM, updated 39 minutes ago, 39 minutes ago, Tuesday, July 12, 2022 at 4:24 AM