NSW SES - Cessnock City Unit

27/05/2026

Bulga and Wollombi flooding
Stay informed
Advice

The NSW SES advises people in the following area(s) to STAY INFORMED about predicted minor flooding on the Wollombi Brook :

- Bulga and Wollombi

You should stay informed by monitoring warnings issued by NSW SES on their website and page, listening to your local ABC radio station, and checking the latest weather information from the Bureau of Meteorology online.

What are we expecting?

The Bureau of Meteorology advises a broad trough over northern and eastern NSW is expected to generate widespread moderate rainfall and thunderstorms over the next few days. A low within the trough is expected to result in heavy rainfall for parts of the Hunter and southern parts of the Mid North Coast from late Thursday.

Minor flooding may develop along parts of the Wollombi Brook and Lower Hunter River from Thursday into Friday. Uncertainty remains in the location and timing of the heaviest falls, and the Flood Watch area will be reviewed over the coming days.

Based on predictions from the Bureau of Meteorology, the following areas may be impacted by dangerous floodwaters:

- Low lying areas of Bulga and Wollombi
- Low lying roads and causeways

View the full warning: https://hazardwatch.gov.au/a/bf6XtR

Download the Hazards Near Me App and set up ‘Watch Zones’ to receive warnings in real time. https://www.nsw.gov.au/emergency/hazards-near-me-app

For emergency assistance during a flood, storm or tsunami, call the NSW SES on 132 500. In a life-threatening emergency, call Triple Zero (000).

Post current at 4:25pm on Wednesday 27th May 2026.

22/02/2026

06/02/2026

This is heading our way. Stay safe out there!

⚠️ A Severe Thunderstorm Warning for DAMAGING WINDS, HEAVY RAINFALL and LARGE HAILSTONES has been issued by Bureau of Meteorology.

📍 Locations which may be affected over the next several hours include Illawarra and parts of Hunter, Metropolitan, Central Tablelands, Southern Tablelands and Central West Slopes and Plains Forecast Districts.

Severe thunderstorms developing over the central ranges and slopes this afternoon. They are no longer occurring in the South West Slopes district and the warning for this district is CANCELLED.

📲Download Hazards Near Me or visit the NSW SES website to stay up to date with warnings and information, especially as the weather moves through and may affect other areas.

We advise people to:
🔸Park your car under secure cover and away from trees, powerlines and drains.
🔸Secure or put away loose items around your house, yard and balcony.
🔸Don't drive, ride or walk through flood water.
🔸Keep clear of creeks and storm drains.
🔸Stay indoors away from windows, and keep children and pets indoors as well.

☎️If you require assistance in floods and storms, call the NSW SES on 132 500. In life threatening situations, call Triple Zero (000).

Issued at 1:30pm on Friday, 6th February 2026.

15/01/2026

For anyone concerned about the forecast rainfall over the next few days, we have sand and sandbags available at our Cessnock HQ, Col Turnbull Parade, Pokolbin. Sandbags and shovels are available in the wheelie bins beside the sandpit.

We will have teams available if the weather comes in, so call 132500 if you need us.

15/01/2026

Holidaymakers camping near rivers and creeks on the NSW Central Coast, Hunter and ranges should prepare for severe weather.⛺

Widespread rainfall and severe thunderstorms are likely to intensify from this afternoon, and continue across into the weekend. Moderate to heavy falls possible. Peak rainfall rates of 40 - 90 mm in six hours and up to 120 mm with impacted thunderstorms.

With many people camping or staying near creeks and rivers at this time of year, the NSW SES is reminding the community not to set up camp near waterways, as water levels can rise quickly.

❗Holidaymakers: Now is the time to decide if you should head home or relocate to higher ground. Strong winds and flash flooding may make travel difficult in the coming days.

📲 Stay across warnings and information by downloading the Hazards Near Me app or visit the NSW SES website.

☎️ If you need assistance, call the NSW SES on 132 500. In life threatening conditions, call Triple Zero (000).

Meryl Swanson MP
Pat Conroy MP
Emma McBride MP
Jenny Aitchison MP
Central Coast Council
Dungog Shire Council
Upper Hunter Shire Council
Maitland City Council
Port Stephens Council
City of Newcastle
Lake Macquarie City Council

31/12/2025

Good morning 2026! Commander Jen here.

It's time for a look back at the year that was for our Cessnock City Unit team. We received 840 calls for assistance from our Cessnock communities over the last 12 months. Compare that with the 313 requests for assistance in 2024 and it's easy to see why 2025 was our busiest year yet. We charged from weather event to weather event throughout the year, barely taking a breath.

To our 40 members who were active in some form throughout the year, thank you for your dedication and commitment. Overall our members have contributed 9,436 volunteer hours throughout 2025, with about 2/3 of these hours being in field and operational teams, responding to requests for assistance.

Training was ongoing during 2025 with 1,146 volunteer hours invested in increasing our Unit capability to make sure we are prepared for whatever weather event comes next. Significant training milestones included the training of 8 new storm ground and storm heights operators, 5 new chainsaw operators, and training for members in our operational and incident management systems. For the first time, Cessnock City Unit has 2 trained remotely piloted aircraft operators, 2 aviation radio operators and a trainee airbase manager.

Our community engagement team were busy in 2025 spreading the messages about knowing your risk and being prepared. A prepared community is better able to respond and recover from significant events. Our efforts in 2026 will focus on continuing to build resilience within our communities.

With such a large volume of calls for assistance in 2025, our small team was assisted throughout the year by other local Hunter and Central Coast SES Units and our emergency services partner agencies. Thanks to all for your support.

2025 was a big year - let's see what 2026 brings. Best wishes to all for a successful and rewarding year ahead.

31/12/2025

🕛Happy New Year to everyone in the Singleton LGA.

💪if you want to look for a new outfit in 2026, ask yourself, do you look good in orange?

31/12/2025

24/12/2025

Wishing all our Cessnock communities a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

It's been a busy year for our team, and while we are looking forward to some down time, we will be available over the holiday period should anyone need us!

Stay safe out there!