Wisemans Ferry Bowling Club fills care packages for the flood-affected

"Absolute madness" is how Wisemans Ferry Bowling Club licensee Margaret Pratt described the scene at the local club, where the volunteers were busy packaging together food and household items for those stranded by flood waters.

The Bureau of Meteorology has warned the Hawkesbury River at Wisemans Ferry may reach around 4.8 metres this afternoon (Tuesday), with major flooding above the March 2021 event.

Ms Pratt said the water was already higher than last year; it had completely covered the bowling green and was lapping at the verandah when the Gazette spoke with Ms Pratt at lunchtime.

The club is acting as an evacuation staging centre, processing evacuees - giving them a hot meal and a cup of tea - before they move on to the various evacuation centres set-up in the north-west Sydney area.

Many of the evacuees being 'staged' at the Wisemans Ferry Bowling Club will head to the Castle Hill RSL and Canley Vale Diggers Club evacuation centres.

Ms Pratt and other volunteers are putting together care packages filled with food and household supplies for households that are stranded by flood waters.

These are being sent in via flood boat and helicopter by the local Rural Fire Service and State Emergency Service teams.

"We find out their names and address, how many people live there, what sorts of animals they have, and we send all the care packages out that we can," Ms Pratt said.

"We've got food donations being dropped off here, and we have had a lot of donations from different organisations."

Many of the care packages were going to people stranded around the Macdonald River in the St Albans area.

Ms Pratt wasn't aware of the number of people the team had helped thus far, but said they would count-up the numbers tonight.

How can locals help?

"All we would ask for right now is supplies," Ms Pratt said.

"Then when the water goes down, we will need a whole pile of cleaning supplies. If anyone has squeegees, we need them to push all the mud out.

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"We'll also need mosquito repellent, because the mozzies are going to be bad."

The Wisemans Ferry Bowling Club is also running its courtesy bus for those in need. For care packages or the bus, call Margaret Pratt on 0419 155 882 or the club kitchen on 4566 4609 (N.B. don't call the main club number as the line is down).

For more emergency information, advice, and access to the latest river heights and rainfall observations and forecasts: