THE severe weather system may have left the region for now, but the chaos continued on the Hunter's roadways on Tuesday.
An early-morning crash at Mayfield West which saw a crane roll caused road closures and significant delays for morning commuters.
Industrial Drive at Steel River Boulevard was closed in a westbound direction for almost three hours after the crane lost control and tipped over at the intersection just after 6.30am.
Paramedics treated one patient, believed to be a man in his 40s, for head injuries at the scene. He was then taken to John Hunter Hospital in a stable condition.
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NSW Ambulance duty operations manager Jaime Warhurst said the man was lucky to escape more serious injuries.
"When such a big vehicle is involved you just hope there is no one seriously injured, luckily today that was the case," he said.
"We often get a limited description of the scene and need to prepare ourselves as quickly as possible to treat our patient.
"Getting behind the wheel of any vehicle can be extremely dangerous, please be aware of your surroundings and look out for each other. One small error has the potential to be fatal."
The road closure forced heavy vehicles travelling westbound to divert into Werribi Street. Light vehicles were getting past the scene of the crash in the breakdown lane.
Long delays on Industrial Drive were reported for several hours. The crash site was cleared by 9am.
Medowie Road between Ferodale Road and Richardson Road also remained closed in both directions on Tuesday due to flooding.
Motorists were advised to exercise caution, avoid the area and use an alternative route.
A strong wind and hazardous surf warning remains in place for Newcastle and the Hunter.
NSW Police Force, Marine Area Command advise that:
- People should consider staying out of the water and avoid walking near surf-exposed areas.
- Rock fishers should avoid coastal rock platforms exposed to the ocean and seek a safe location that is sheltered from the surf.
- Boaters planning to cross shallow water and ocean bars should consider changing or delaying their voyage.
- Boaters already on the water should carry the appropriate safety equipment and wear a lifejacket.
- Boaters should remember to log on with their local Marine Rescue radio base, via VHF Radio or the Marine Rescue APP, and consider their safety management plan.
Across the NSW the SES has received 1030 calls for assistance, with more than 300 of them coming from the Hunter Region.
Since Friday evening there have been 14 flood rescues, 11 of them being around the Central Coast for cars trapped in floodwater.
The majority of jobs are for leaking roofs due to that heavy rain as well as trees and branches down over cars, roofs and roads.
The Bureau of Meteorology has advised that the weather will be unsettled for most of this week
Tuesday will be a bit quieter weather-wise, but there is the chance of storms across most of NSW tomorrow.
The bureau advises that more heavy rain is expected throughout the week from the Hunter down to the Illawarra.
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