An East Coast Low / July 2025

What is an east coast low?
East coast lows (ECLs) are intense low-pressure systems that occur off the east coast of Australia. They bring valuable rainfall to the east coast and tablelands. However, they can also bring damaging storms and cause coastal erosion and flooding.
They can occur at any time of year but are more common during autumn and winter, most frequently in June.
East coast lows often intensify quickly over 12–24 hours. This makes them one of the more dangerous weather systems to affect the eastern coast.
The bureau of meteorology (BOM) was very concerned about the intensity of one forming on the weekend of the 28th June.

They were expecting the cell to impact the New South Wales coast from Monday lasting through until Thursday.
Torrential rain and damaging winds were predicted.
They advised the cancellation of discretionary travel.
Monday night it started to rain here and didn’t stop until Wednesday night.

Tuesday we were forced to stay inside all day.
Rain pelted down. 

Over 250mm (10 inches) in 36 hours. 310mm (12.5 inches) in total over 3 days.
Then in the evening the wind got up.
Over 105 km/h (65mph) gusts. Amazingly despite a few light flickers, our electricity stayed on. Others in area were not so lucky. Some had a power outage for 3 days.
Around 10pm, I heard a big bang just outside.
I thought one of our trees had fallen.
I ventured out onto veranda with a torch and saw that our very old spare metal water tank had virtually exploded. Obviously it couldn’t handle the volume of water going in despite the overflow outlet working ok.
There was metal strewn about the front yard. Worse, 10,000 litres (4500 gallons) of water had been let loose thankfully away from the house.
Next morning, Wednesday, I was up at sunrise to take a look. Thankfully our main tank, plastic, was undamaged. 

Our bottom paddock was awash as was the side one. The creek was in full flood.
We assumed the lake our creek runs into was open to the sea as the surf was huge. 8m (25ft) waves reported. So we were hopeful to see the water drain away quickly but it was slow at this stage.
Other places around us were flooded. Our state emergency service were issuing evacuation orders for homes around Lake Burrill.
With the huge surf and high tides, the storm runoff couldn’t get out of the lakes.
They were still doing food drops into the area on Thursday.
Thursday dawned sunny.
I did as much of a boundary walk as I could.
The flooding in the paddocks was gone and despite the creek being back within its banks I couldn’t get over so didn’t know what damage had been done on our southern boundary. It was a very deep fast flowing torrent.
But on the north side of the creek in the southern paddock there was considerable fence damage. Huge logs washed downstream, now left stranded by the receding water, had taken fences down.

Friday morning another boundary walk. Northern and part eastern ie. still our side of the creek. Eastern fences ok despite being piled high with flood debris and a big tree down but supported by the top wire.

Part of the northern, not so good. Flood debris had completely flattened about 50 metres even to the point of pulling wooden posts out of the ground. Big repair job pending there and can only be done when the ground dries out. 

So that section needed to be electrified off.

Got the cattle up to the house paddock and locked them in so they couldn’t escape. There was about a week’s grass for them.

Then I turned my attention to the destroyed tank. Managed to ‘cut it up’ into manageable pieces and move it away from the house.
Sunday I managed to get through to my southern boundary via a neighbour’s property as the creek was no longer impacting them.
And to my surprise no fence damage. Lots of trees and big branches down however.

Then I turned my attention to electrifying the damaged northern fence.
Needless to say we didn’t need all this.
Apart from the fencing damage, the paddocks are now saturated. The grass will stop growing and hay for the cows will need to be purchased.
I will need help with repairs which can only start when the water table drops, estimated to be 2 weeks time.
Got to love life on the land.