Taree on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia has a long recorded history of being prone to significant flooding. With a population of 27,000 and located on the coastal flood plain of the Manning River, the town and the surrounding area has experienced three significant flooding events in 1929, 1978, and 2021.
The 1929 flood, long considered the benchmark, saw the Manning River reaching a peak of 5.9 metres with the flood of 2021 resulting in a peak of 5.65 metres. Now the Manning River has flooded at a level not seen before with a peak level of 6.37 metres at 09.00 on Wednesday 21 May. The flooding left approximately 48,000 residents from the town and the surrounding area isolated, resulted in 5 deaths, and inflicted widespread damage to homes, farms and businesses. An estimated 8,000 to 10,000 properties were damaged, with the Insurance Council of Australia reporting over 3,600 claims, many from Taree. Local businesses, still recovering from 2021, faced renewed devastation.
The primary driver of the 2025 floods was an intense, stalled low-pressure system over eastern Australia, pulling moisture from the Tasman Sea and dumping over 650 mm of rain on the Mid North Coast in just a few days—eight times the May average and the wettest May since 1882. Rainfall throughout early May had left soils and river catchments saturated, reducing their capacity to absorb additional rainfall. This led to rapid runoff, swelling rivers like the Manning beyond historical levels.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s Steve Bernasconi commented that 412mm of rainfall Taree had received over two days was five times its monthly average rainfall for May and a third of its average annual rainfall.
Extent of flooded area on 21 May 2025 – Source: Copernicus EU
The emergency response was significant, with over 670 rescues, including 70 seniors from a flooded retirement village with Sikh Volunteers, Australia providing meals from Bunnings, a store in Taree. Longer term recovery efforts are also underway, with a hub at Taree Leagues Sports Club operating from 27 May to 13 June to support residents. The NSW State Emergency Service has warned of ongoing hazards, including contaminants and wildlife in floodwaters. Federal and state governments, including Australian Defence Force assistance, have pledged support, though visits by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and NSW Premier Chris Minns were cancelled due to unsafe conditions.
While it too early to explicitly link the latest flooding event to climate change, the intensity and frequency of such extreme weather events link with broader patterns of increased rainfall variability in Australia. The 2021 floods, previously considered a one-in-fifty-year event, suggest a trend of more frequent extreme events.
