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ABC News
ABC News
National

Tasmanian areas hit by recent floods on alert again as storms roll in

Tasmanian residents in regions hit by recent floods are being told to prepare again as storm fronts move over the island state.

On Saturday, Tasmanian authorities issued watch and act flood alerts for multiple communities in the state's north.

Severe thunderstorms brought heavy rain to some parts of the state, including 37 millimetres of rain in less than an hour on Saturday afternoon at Nunamara near Launceston.

More significant rain is forecast on Tuesday but flood waters are not expected to be as high as they were earlier this month.

Tasmania's Premier Jeremy Rockliff said the state was "not out of the woods" and urged people to prepare.

"We've been through some really tough times and here we are again," he said. 

"We must remain vigilant and alert. We have rivers that have been subsiding, but many of the catchments that were affected a week ago have already got some warnings.

"With more rain headed this way, we need to be on high alert."

Several alerts and warnings are current for Tasmania on the BOM website.

Tasmania SES Regional Officer Damian Hingston said it was an evolving situation.

"We are just coming back down off some of the most significant flooding that we've had for a number of years," he said.

"With the weather system that has pushed through this weekend, that has lifted some of the river levels across northern Tasmania."

Mr Hingston urged members of the community to stay up to date with alerts and warnings and prepare their properties accordingly.

Tasmania Police Inspector John King said they're monitoring the situation. 

"If in fact it does escalate, and we do need to evacuate people, which is unlikely at this stage, please make that decision early," he said.

Bridge repairs to take a week

The Department of State Growth estimates repairs to the Cam River bridge on the Bass Highway at Somerset will take one week to complete. 

The bridge was reduced to one lane after underwater investigations on Thursday revealed flood waters had undermined a pier on the bridge.

One lane of the bridge will remain open during repair work, but drivers are warned to expect delays of 45 minutes or longer. 

On Saturday, State Growth said it planned to have traffic controllers stationed at the bridge to give emergency service vehicles and buses priority of passage.

Last week, heavy rainfall in Tasmania's northern and central regions saw a number of homes, businesses and community spaces inundated, with roads and bridges affected and scheduled voyages of the Spirit of Tasmania ferry cancelled due to conditions.

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