For the fourth time in the past six months since they moved in, a couple is fighting to save their historic Sydney home from flooding.
Keith and Kerrie Levy relocated from Dural on December 23 after purchasing the 200-year-old four-story home in Windsor, on Sydney’s northwest outskirts, for $1.975 million.
Since then, they have hardly had any time to live in their new house because they had to move their stuff in and out all the time because floodwaters were pouring into the lower levels.
After two floods in March and another in April, they were eventually able to settle back in a few days later, but now that Sydney is being flooded by yet another once-in-a-century storm, they have once more cleared out their possessions.
Numerous Sydney suburbs are in danger of flooding, and 71 evacuation orders are in effect as torrential rain causes NSW to potentially experience its worst flooding in 18 months.
As he once more watched floodwaters rise gradually from his balcony due to the swelling Hawkesbury River, Mr. Levy told Daily Mail Australia, “It’s not good, but it is what it is.”
Water is rising up the lower ground floor, doubling in height by 11 a.m. from the early Monday morning level of around a foot and threatening to overflow onto the top levels.
After the area flooded in March 2021, Mr. and Mrs. Levy claimed they thought their home would be secure but now anticipate spending at least $40,000 dealing with the four deluges..
We believed that the flooding was over because there hadn’t been one since the 1990s before last year, according to Mr. Levy.
Instead, they are predicting another flood before the end of the year because we have had a horrible run nearly since we moved in.
We look forward to this weather cycle’s conclusion.
The nearby auctioneer stated that the couple merely hoped they could survive the storms while being worried about the future of their cherished property.
It’s challenging since, in contrast to many individuals here, we are fresh to this.
We’re hoping the La Nina weather cycle will end soon so there won’t be any flooding for a time,’ he said.
The worst aspect, according to Mr. Levy, was having to wait months after the previous floods for the damaged areas of the house to dry out enough to be livable.
The next day, as the rains resumed, “we were just about to move everything back in,” he recalled.
“We only just moved everything back in on Saturday.”
“Last time we didn’t move quickly enough and lost a lot of stuff, but this time we were ready, got a trailer, and moved everything of value out yesterday.”
The pair will once more experience gas and power outages because the unit must be turned off to safeguard it from flooding.
Mr. Levy claimed that the terrace’s overflowing water made the lower ground floor susceptible.
The garage door blew away, which was unexpected, he added. “We used a mountain of sandbags last time and got pumps to push the water out, but it didn’t go any good.”
“This time, we’ve just opened everything up to let it in, limit the damage, and hope it doesn’t rise too much,” the speaker explained.
According to Mr. Levy, the front entrance was secure until the river reached about 15 meters, and around two meters of water could enter the lower ground floor before it threatened the rest of the house.
The river reached 13.7m during the most recent flood.
The couple does not carry flood insurance because it would be “just unaffordable” for them to pay an additional $25,000 to $30,000 a year.
We simply have to hope there isn’t more long-term harm than that since insurance is just too expensive and many people here are in the same situation, he said.
Although we are not in a designated flood zone, the dam level is not being properly regulated.
The dam was going to flood, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out.
Beyond fixing the immediate damage, frequent flooding caused water to seep into the 200-year-old bricks and sandstone, crumbling the plaster and necessitating extensive, expensive repairs.
The Levys place a high premium on maintaining the heritage house, referred regarded as a “jewel of the Hawkesbury,” considering its extensive history.
The upper floors were erected in 1844, but the hand-carved sandstone basement was constructed in 1819 as The Lord Nelson Inn, making it a prime example of an Australian colonial terrace.
From 1858 through 1992, a series of doctors owned the home and operated their operations there, giving it the moniker “Doctors House.”
It was sold numerous times after the last doctor retired, and its value has more than doubled since its latest $850,000 sale in 2011.
A wine cellar and tasting room, a poker room, and a lounge area with one of the house’s nine historic fireplaces are all located on the lower level, which has flooded four times this year.
The remainder of the home has two bathrooms, a wraparound terrace with metal decorative handrails and views of the Hawkesbury River and Blue Mountains, four bedrooms and a study, original floorboards, and a grand staircase.
Despite their hardships, Mr. Levy claimed he and Kerrie were luckier than many of their neighbors and hundreds of other people living along the eastern Australian coast.
We’re just fortunate that, unlike many individuals, we haven’t lost our houses and means of support, he remarked.
As 64 further evacuation advisories were issued, more than 32,000 residents of the state were encouraged to evacuate their homes, and another 6,000 were instructed to be alert and prepared to do so.
Serious flooding has occurred in North Richmond as a result of river levels exceeding that reached in March (15.92m), with more rises possibly occurring.
Sydney Basin water levels as well as those of the Hawkesbury, Nepean, and Georges Rivers are also a major worry.
The worst affected places include Camden, which has been partially flooded for the fourth time this year, along with Lansvale, Chipping Norton, and Moorebank.
Since the weekend, the State Emergency Service has handled 3,500 demands for assistance, 400 of which came in the middle of the night, and 120 flood rescues, with more rescues anticipated.
The Bureau of Meteorology issued a warning, stating that additional rain was likely along the coast for the remainder of the week and that it might even extend into next summer.
Even if the rain stopped this week as forecast, according to SES spokeswoman Ashely Sullivan, rivers would still rise because the ground was already saturated from the previous flood emergency.
Residents were encouraged by Premier Dominic Perrottet to heed SES advice and refrain from attempting to drive across flooding.
In a press conference on Monday, he claimed that “people drive through flood floods because they can’t see the depth of the road beneath.”
You are unable to comprehend how deep that water is. To keep you and your family safe and to prevent the SES and other volunteers from having to put their lives on the line, please refrain from driving through floodwaters.