UPDATE:
In a video shared to the Forbes Shire Council Facebook page, SES controller Roc Walshaw explains the water got backed up by heavy crops. Details below.
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The Lachlan River has come up as high as 1990 - possibly higher - at Phil and Denise Thurston's Escort Way property.
Phil Thurston on Wednesday night captured an image of the river just underneath his balcony - and said he's as confused as everyone else to see the water that high at his place and not flooding the town.
"I think the level here is as high as 1990, which was the worst flood we've had - certainly in my time," he said.
"Just looking at the indicators I have got here, I think the water is higher than 1990."
At the same time his mother-in-law had one metre of water through her home on Racecourse Road and the trotting track - Mr Thurston was president of the club at the time - was washed away.
The Thurstons admit they were surprised by a quite sudden rise in the water
They had anticipated a high moderate flood, but it rose nearly half a metre overnight and came to the top of their levee banks.
"It came up very quickly and quite surprisingly to us," Mr Thurston said.
"It hasn't dropped at all today (Wednesday); it's been steady all day."
While we know that every flood is different, this one is intriguing.
Mr Thurston can only speculate that the height and density of the grasses in this amazing season are holding the water up.
For 48 hours SES controller Roc Walshaw has been puzzled by the "disappearance" of the water.
On Wednesday afternoon he went for a drive to where the water normally breaks out at Southern Cross, heads north and goes west into the top of the lake system.
"While we were out there we found out a lot of water was going south, back down across the Eugowra Road, heading into the river," he said, explaining why the Lake remained so low for so long.
"All that water got backed up by heavy crops in the area, that's why it got pushed down south.
"All the excess water is going north, where it normally goes, on top of the lake system, it's gradually draining into the lake now and it's going to be there for quite a while now.
"The river itself has peaked at 10.52, it's going to stay there for a while."
With more water coming down the river ahead of another forecast wet weekend, the current flood waters will remain high.
"Every flood is different," Mayor Phyllis Miller reiterated.
"We are trying to read the floods as accurately as we can.
"Please contact the SES on 132500 if you have problems.
"Do not drive through floodwaters, it's dangerous. We want all our community to be safe and healthy during this flood."
