Flood and Storm Checks for Hastings Drivers

This guide is for drivers across Port Macquarie-Hastings, from Wauchope's river flats to Settlement Point and the Camden Haven. It looks at what the March 2021 flood showed about vehicles and water, how to prepare your car before the wet season, what to do when warnings are issued and the electrical checks needed after a car has been in water or a storm.

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What March 2021 showed us

In March 2021 a severe weather system dropped extreme rain across the Mid North Coast. Kendall recorded more than 400 mm over 19 and 20 March, and the Hastings and Camden Haven rivers rose quickly. The Hastings at Wauchope peaked at about 8.7 metres, and the Camden Haven River reached a similar height at Logans Crossing. Low-lying parts of Wauchope, Port Macquarie and Laurieton were evacuated, along with North Haven and Dunbogan.

In Port Macquarie, the river surged into Short Street and Clarence Street, and flooded roads cut access to the airport. Communities such as Rollands Plains, Telegraph Point and Comboyne were isolated, and thousands of people lost power. Many cars were caught in water, either parked in low streets or driven into flooded roads.

Floods like this aren't a once-in-a-lifetime event here. The Hastings at Wauchope flooded in 1968 and again in 2013, and Bureau of Meteorology records for the former Port Macquarie Airport station show March is, on average, the wettest month of the year.

Before the wet season

Late summer is the time to get your car ready. Most of these checks take a few minutes:

• Have the battery tested. A weak battery is the last thing you want when you need to move the car in a hurry.
• Keep a charged jump starter, phone charger cable and torch in the car.
• Check wiper blades, headlights and tail lights, as visibility in heavy rain is poor.
• Clear the drains under the windscreen cowl and around any sunroof, so rainwater can't back up into the cabin.
• Know where you'd move the car to: a street or car park on higher ground that's still reachable when nearby roads close.
• Keep the fuel tank reasonably full during long wet spells, in case power outages affect service stations.

When warnings are issued

When flood warnings are out for the Hastings or Camden Haven, move vehicles early rather than waiting to see how high the water gets. Cars parked in low streets near the river are often the first to go under, and by the time water is in the street it may be too late to drive out safely.

The NSW SES message is simple: never drive through floodwater. If you come to a flooded road, turn around and find another route, or put the trip off. Water can hide a washed-out road, and it doesn't take much to lift a car or stall the engine. For help in floods or storms, call the NSW SES on 132 500. In a life-threatening emergency, call Triple Zero (000).

If your car has been in water

The most important rule is don't try to start it. If water has got into the engine's air intake, cranking can cause serious damage. Water in the electrics can also cause short circuits as soon as power is applied. If it's safe to do so, disconnect the battery's negative terminal, take photos of the water line inside and outside the car, and contact your insurer before arranging a tow.

Even if the car seems to run normally once it's dried out, it needs a proper inspection. Floodwater, especially brackish water from the lower Hastings, carries silt and salt into places that never dry fully.

An auto electrician will usually check the battery and charging system, look for water and silt in connectors, fuse boxes and modules, scan for stored fault codes and check the lights, windows and locks. Some insurers will arrange this assessment for you, so ask before you book.

How floodwater damages electrics

Modern cars have dozens of control modules and hundreds of connectors, many of them under the seats, in the doors and low in the engine bay. When water gets into them, these are the typical problems:

• Corrosion inside connectors, causing faults that come and go, often weeks after the water has gone.
• Damaged control modules for the engine, body, airbags or seats, many of which sit low in the cabin.
• Wet carpet and sound-deadening that keep the wiring underneath damp for a long time.
• Starter motors, alternators and sensors filled with silt.
• Short circuits that can cause overheating. A burning smell or smoke from car wiring needs immediate attention.

Storm damage that's easy to miss

Summer storms on the coast bring heavy rain, strong wind and falling branches. A cracked tail light, a damaged windscreen or a blocked drain can let water into places the car was never designed to get wet. The result is often a fault that appears days later, like an electric window that stops working, a dash light that flickers or a boot light that won't turn off.

After a big storm, check the boot floor, the spare wheel well and the carpets for damp, and look for water inside the light housings. If a warning appears on the dash after a wet spell, our guide on what to do when a dashboard warning light comes on explains which ones mean stop now.

Buying a used car after a flood

After a major flood, some water-damaged cars end up back on the market. Signs to watch for include a musty smell, new carpet in an older car, silt under the seats or in the spare wheel well, rust on seat rails and bolts, and fogging inside the lights. Ask the seller directly whether the car has been in floodwater, and have it inspected before you buy.

For local advice in the areas hit hardest in 2021, see our Wauchope and Laurieton pages.

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Questions Port Macquarie drivers ask

Can I drive through a flooded road if it looks shallow?

The NSW SES says never drive through floodwater. Water can hide a washed-out road surface, debris or a strong current, and depth is very hard to judge. Even if you get through, water can be drawn into the engine or the electrics. Turn around, find another route, or delay the trip until the road is open.

My car was in floodwater but now it starts fine. Is it OK?

Not necessarily. Corrosion inside connectors and modules can take weeks to cause trouble, and silt and salt left behind keep working on the wiring. Have the car inspected, check the carpets and under the seats for damp, and tell your insurer. Faults that appear later are harder to link back to the flood.

Should I disconnect my battery if my car is about to flood?

Moving the car to higher ground early is far better. If that isn't possible and it's safe to do so, disconnecting the negative battery terminal can reduce the risk of short circuits. Never go near a vehicle in moving or rising water. Your safety matters more than the car.

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