On 01 March 2022, a low-pressure system hit the Easter Australian coast, from southeast Queensland to northern New South Wales. The event resulted in strong winds and heavy rainfall that lasted for 4 days. Meteorologists would typically expect the low-pressure areas to move West to East more rapidly than witnessed on this occasion. In this instance, there was a high-pressure system sitting off the East coast blocking the progression towards the East to occur.

The prolonged and significant rainfall, as reported by the Bureau of Meteorology of the Australian Government, has resulted in severe flooding in vast areas running from Bundaberg (QLD) down to Port Macquarie (NSW), with confirmed fatalities in both states (see Figure 1). 

The city of Lismore is one of the most flood-prone areas in Australia in the Northern Rivers district from New South Wales.  It is located at the junction of the Leycester Creek and Wilsons River, a river which has raised to a record level of 14,4m on 01 March 2022, exceeding the previous record height of 12.27m from 1954.