Floods and stormwater

For important information during weather events and emergencies visit the Emergency Dashboard - note Council is not the main authority in emergencies.

Find out more about emergency planning and recovery.

Jump to related pages using the links below or scroll down for general flooding information for the Tweed community, including flood history and insurance.

Flood damage to causeway on road

Flood evacuation and emergency response

SES are the lead agency during flood and storm emergencies and manage:

  • flood warning systems, rescues, evacuations
  • welfare of affected communities
  • flood maps and advice during weather events.

See NSW State Emergency Service

SES manage sandbag distribution in the community during weather events.

How to use sandbags

Flooding in the Tweed

Murwillumbah showground grandstand 1921 The Tweed has a long history of flooding. Major flooding events were recorded in:

1887, 1921, 1931, 1945, 1954, 1963, 1972, 1974 (twice), 1987, 1989 (twice), 2017, 2022
2017 Flood Report(PDF, 884KB)

Rainfall records

Rainfall records have been recorded in the Tweed since 1881.

Regent theatre flood 1954 Flood insurance

Flood insurance terms, conditions and premiums are set by the insurance industry.

Insurers base property assessments on flood maps provided by Council, but we have no influence over flood insurance products or premiums.

Flood insurance is a relatively new product, and few properties were insured against flooding
(as opposed to stormwater inundation) prior to 2006.

Flood Tumbulgum 2017

When assessing flood insurance, insurers take account of how often an individual property is expected to flood, how severe the flooding may be, and how deep the flood can get.

Flooding is a costly natural disaster which affects a relatively small percentage of insured properties, and high premiums are likely (compared to other forms of risk). Speak to your insurer and shop around for insurance products that suit your needs.

See Insurance Council of Australia and Understanding insurance