A second person has died in the devastating floods sweeping across the New South Wales mid-north coast, as authorities express grave fears for two others still missing.
NSW Police said the body of a man, believed to be in his 30s, was found near Rosewood on Thursday morning. He had been reported missing on Wednesday night after becoming trapped in flood waters while driving.
Emergency crews were called at 8.50pm on Wednesday but were unable to locate him or his vehicle. The body has yet to be formally identified but is believed to be that of the missing man.
This follows the death of a 63-year-old man found at a home in Moto on Wednesday, marking the second fatality in the ongoing emergency.
Two more people are unaccounted for — a woman whose 4WD was reportedly caught in floodwaters between Armidale and Coffs Harbour, and a man who failed to return home after walking near a flooded road in Nymboida.
Premier Chris Minns said the storm had “smashed through” mid-north coast communities and parts of the Hunter region, triggering a flood emergency not seen for more than a century.
“We’re seeing levels of rise in local tributaries, creeks and rivers that we haven’t seen since 1920,” he said.
“Many people would have never seen this level of inundation or flooding in their communities,” Minns added.
Minns said the number of affected homes and isolated communities far exceeds available resources, despite thousands of emergency workers being deployed.
More than 2,500 personnel — including 2,200 State Emergency Service (SES) workers — are operating in the region, according to Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s Steve Bernasconi warned of continued dangerous flooding, with intense rainfall pounding the mid-north coast for a third straight day.
While a break in rainfall is expected by Friday as the system shifts southward, Bernasconi said the flood threat will persist, with rivers still rising.
Acting NSW Police Commissioner Peter Thurtell said he held “grave fears” for those still missing, while evacuation preparations are underway for 50,000 people in high-risk zones.
More than 9,500 properties lie within areas subject to evacuation warnings, authorities said.
SES Commissioner Mike Wassing said 145 flood warnings remain in place — 34 of them emergency-level alerts — as rescue conditions remain “difficult and dangerous.”
“I cannot guarantee that our crews will be able to immediately rescue people,” Wassing warned, urging residents to evacuate early where possible.
Evacuation centres have been established in Dungog, Gloucester, Taree, Manning Point, Wingham, Bulahdelah, Tuncurry Beach, Kempsey and Port Macquarie.
The SES reported that more than 48,800 people and 23,200 dwellings have been isolated by the floodwaters.
Federal Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain said disaster recovery payments have been activated for the Kempsey, Port Macquarie, Dungog and MidCoast council areas.
McBain noted the increasing frequency of extreme weather events globally, warning, “Climate change is driving more frequent disasters around the world.”
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