During 20-22 April 2015, an intense East Coast Low caused loss of life and major damage to highly populated areas of the central New South Wales coastline, including the Sydney Metropolitan, Central Coast, and Hunter regions. The storm brought extreme hourly rainfall rates of between 100 to 150 millimetres at a number of locations in the lower Hunter Valley, including Dungog and Maitland, resulting in flooding along many local creeks and major flooding of the Paterson and Williams Rivers in the Hunter Valley.

In addition to widespread heavy rainfall, sustained gale force winds were experienced along the coastal fringe for a 30-hour period. Destructive wind gusts of up to 135 kilometres per hour were reported at Newcastle and Norah Head on the Central Coast, the highest ever recorded for New South Wales in April since records began.

While over 250 houses across the region suffered major damage or were destroyed, this event had a particularly devastating effect on the Dungog community, where three lives were lost and extensive damage occurred to homes, businesses, infrastructure, and the local environment. A further life was lost in the Gillieston Heights community in the Maitland City Council area.

The Insurance Council of Australia is currently estimating the costs of the storm to be $949,615,700 with a normalised 2017 cost of $1,059,849,563.