NSW flood emergency: One dead, three missing, thousands isolated as emergency evacuations continue

A man has died on the NSW Mid North Coast as the state grapples with some of the worst flooding in living memory, marking the first reported fatality of this flood emergency.

Reacting to the tragedy, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed his condolences, saying: “This is devastating news that a man has died at a residence impacted by flooding on the New South Wales Mid North Coast. The thoughts of all Australians are with his loved ones and the community at this time.”

NSW Premier Chris Minns said the Government held “grave fears” for deaths.

“We had grave fears going into last night that there would be people who didn’t survive this terrible natural disaster and our worst fears have come true,” Mr Minns told Sunrise.

“We will have to brace for the next 24 hours as well.

“We are not out of the woods yet. There is a massive amount of rain still falling on the north coast. They are a resilient community but they will have to ride out what has been a terrible 48 hours.”

Emergency services were called to a property on North Moto Road, Moto, about 3pm on Wednesday, where the body of a 63-year-old man was found in a home impacted by floodwaters. Manning-Great Lakes Police District officers have launched an investigation, and a report will be prepared for the coroner.

The tragedy comes as the SES continues to carry out hundreds of rescues across the Hunter and Mid North Coast regions, with tens of thousands of people still cut off by rising waters. More than 120 flood warnings remain in place, including major alerts for the Macleay, Hastings, and Manning rivers. Over 50,000 people are currently isolated, and thousands have been ordered to evacuate under more than 30 emergency warnings.

Dramatic scenes have played out across the region, with residents being winched from rooftops and wading through thigh-deep water to escape inundated homes. In Taree, about 130 kilometres north-east of Newcastle, dozens have been rescued from rooftops and hundreds more have fled as floodwaters surged.

“If you are under an emergency warning currently and it is safe to do so, I need you to evacuate now,” NSW SES Commissioner Mike Wassing said.

“I cannot stress enough that it is important to heed the warnings of evacuations. We’ve already seen over the past few nights rescue conditions being difficult and dangerous, particularly at nightfall.

“I cannot guarantee that our crews will be able to immediately rescue people if you do not evacuate and heed the warnings.”

In another rescue at Pampoolah, near Taree, a woman was winched to safety as floodwaters lapped at her house, almost up to the windows.

Natural Hazards Research Australia chief executive Andrew Gissing said the flooding was the biggest on record for the area, describing the deluge as a one-in-500-year event.

There have been more than 40 rescue teams active between the Hunter and Coffs Harbour.

“Our volunteers and partner agencies are working around the clock, prioritising rescues and getting help to those who need it most,” SES Assistant Commissioner Storey said.

“We’ve seen a large number of calls for assistance, and we are doing everything we can to reach people as quickly and safely as possible.”

Federal Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain confirmed the activation of the Disaster Recovery Allowance for four hard-hit local government areas: Kempsey, Port Macquarie, Dungog and MidCoast Council.

The allowance provides up to 13 weeks of income support for individuals unable to work due to the disaster.

More than 145 schools are closed on Thursday, with the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting more heavy rain after some places received over 300mm in the past 24 hours.

The Mid North Coast is bracing for more flash flooding, with rainfall totals of 100 to 150 millimetres expected today and up to 300 millimetres in some areas.

Evacuation centres have been set up at locations including Dungog RSL Club, Club Gloucester, Club Taree, Manning Point Bowling Club, Wingham RSL, Bulahdelah Golf Club, Tuncurry Beach Bowling Club, Kempsey Showground, and Panthers Port Macquarie.

Woolworths said all stores from Newcastle to Port Macquarie remain open for now, but north of Port Macquarie, the Kempsey Woolworths and Big W have closed after the town was ordered to evacuate.

“With a number of communities along the Mid North Coast remaining on flood watch, we’re continuing to closely monitor conditions and the advice of authorities to ensure the safety of our team and customers,” a Woolworths spokesperson said.

Authorities are addressing concerns over food shortages in isolated communities through the National Coordination Mechanism, with major supermarket chains already in contact with Federal officials.

The state and federal governments have activated disaster assistance for 16 local government areas, covering emergency accommodation, essential items, grants for uninsured residents, and funding for councils, businesses, and producers to help them recover.

Dozens of people have opened GoFundMe accounts to begin piecing their lives back together.

Among them are Troy and Seeana, a family of seven, who thought they’d found their dream home. But as floodwaters surged through each level of their three-storey house, the family clambered onto the roof, waiting to be winched to safety by SES crews.

Now, like so many others, they’re left with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

Due to the ongoing weather situation, Port Macquarie Airport has been closed.

Today and tomorrow will be pivotal, as we finally begin to see a shift in the weather pattern that should ease the intensity of rainfall across NSW. The system is sliding southward, with some of that moisture expected to push inland.

Thursday will bring more heavy rain, with the NSW SES warning this morning that further flooding and rescues are expected across the day. Flash flooding remains a “significant risk” for anyone between Kempsey, Coffs Harbour, and Nambucca.

In the last 24 hours alone, we’ve had over 1900 calls for assistance, and the SES is managing this on the ground.

“We’ve seen continual rainfall and very fast flowing rivers, which when combined with flooded roads have made it very difficult to access some isolated people,” State Duty Commander, Assistant Commissioner Colin Malone said.

Crews have been working through the night in difficult and challenging conditions, and the SES asks anyone awaiting rescue to remain somewhere safe away from flood waters.

While the Mid North Coast and Hunter remain the focus of most flood warnings today, there is also some minor flooding along the Warrego and Darling Rivers in the west.

The latest Bureau of Meteorology update on Thursday morning warns that 150mm of rain could fall in just six hours, with 24-hour totals of 200 to 300mm possible for much of the Mid North Coast and Northern Tablelands. Heavy rainfall is likely to slowly move south on Friday morning, clearing the Mid North Coast.

For the latest warnings and evacuation advice, visit the SES website or the Bureau of Meteorology.