Floods submerge town centres and isolate communities

WHAT HAS CAUSED THE FLOODING?

* A low-pressure system over the NSW mid-north coast has dumped months of rain over a few days

* Catchments were already saturated, with year-to-date totals before this week already topping 1000mm in Port Macquarie and 690mm in Taree

* Taree's Manning River is falling after reaching a record height of 6.45m, while the levee has been overtopped in Kempsey, population 30,000

WHICH COMMUNITIES ARE IMPACTED?

* Emergency warnings are active in 40 areas including Croki, Macksville, Dungog, Kempsey, Port Macquarie, Nambucca, Taree, Wingham, Bowraville and Gloucester

* More than 48,000 people are isolated due to floodwaters

* Disaster assistance has been activated in 16 local government areas

* Advice warnings have been issued in some areas around the Nepean River on Sydney's fringes

* Two men have died: one at Moto north of Taree, the other at Rosewood near Port Macquarie

* At least two other people are missing: a 60-year-old woman in Dorrigo and a 49-year-old man in Nymboida believed to have walked into flood waters

* More than 524mm of rain has fallen in Taree, 411mm at Port Macquarie and 371mm at Kempsey since Monday

WHAT SERVICES HAVE BEEN AFFECTED?

* Several town centres are underwater

* 140 schools are not operating or under minimal supervision, along with 113 childcare centres

* Scores of livestock have been washed down rivers, with survivors ending up on beaches and in town centres

* Evacuation centres have been set up at Dungog, Gloucester, Taree, Manning Point, Wingham, Bulahdelah, Tuncurry Beach, Kempsey, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, Sawtell, Nambucca, Old Bar, Wauchope and Coopernook

WHAT'S NEXT?

* Between 100 and 150mm of rain forecast over mid-north coast in next 24 hours

* Up to 300mm expected in isolated locations

* Rain is expected to move south and shift off the NSW South Coast on Friday night

* A strong cold front expected early next week, bringing cold and windy conditions

Source: Bureau of Meteorology, SES NSW