Australia Weather News

Flynn Holman's trusty tinny turned from fishing companion to lifesaving vessel this week, as he helped rescue dozens of residents from floodwaters on the NSW Mid North Coast.

The 21-year-old decided to help after his community of Cundletown was blind-sighted by record-breaking floods.

The small town is located 8-kilometres east of Taree, in one of regions most impacted by this week's wild weather.

"We knew it was going to be bad but we didn't expect this, it happened too fast," Mr Holman said. 

"We didn't really have a choice [but to help]. 

"You deal with the hand you're dealt."

'Rely on the locals'

Mr Holman, an electrician, along with friends Tyson Lewis and John Dyball, began helping isolated residents move out of the floodwaters on Wednesday.

He said it had been "non-stop" since then.

"They have lost everything, absolutely everything," Mr Holman said. 

"The people I have been picking up, they've just had one garbage bag with their belongings and they're leaving life-long homes behind."

On Friday, the group accessed a commercial fishing boat to make travel easier, as they helped people assess damage to their properties.

"We were battling a pretty heavy current in Ghinni Ghinni Creek and [were] just trying to dodge silage bales, fences … gates, all sorts of stuff," he said. 

Mr Holman also helped set up an unofficial evacuation centre in the local church, where hot meals were being made for isolated residents and displaced truck drivers.

"I hate to say it, we've kind of been forgotten," he said. 

"I understand it's a stressful time but we can't just turn our back on people.

"You've got to rely on the locals."

Challenging conditions

NSW State Emergency Service Chief Superintendent Dallas Burnes said conditions had proved challenging, especially east of Taree in areas like Cundletown.

"Once the road network gets cut there, everything turns into an island," he said. 

"The strength of the water in some of the narrower parts of the catchment, just meant you can't put boats in."

Superintendent Burnes said the "dangerous" conditions caused some delays to rescues.

"[We had] incredibly strong currents in the river … it's raining locally, the winds are blowing at 70 kilometres per hour and they're asking to be rescued," he said.

"We physically can't get teams to do that. The aviation efforts in many cases can't fly."

Meanwhile, residents in Port Macquarie rallied to drop supplies by boat to isolated residents in the town's flooded North Shore community, on the northern side of the Hastings River.

North Shore residents were without power on Friday, and the car ferries connecting the area were out of action.

Dale Jordan and his wife helped buy groceries and deliver them to a local barge doing a supply run on Friday morning. 

"My brother Rodney has been there for 40 years, right on the river," he said.

"They are used to it, but this one is a bit different to the 2021 floods — the water is staying around for a lot longer."

Resident rescues

Oyster farmers in Coopernook, including Ian Crisp, picked up more than a dozen people across Wednesday and Thursday. 

"We've got the gear, we know the lay of the land pretty well. Why not go and help?" Mr Crisp said. 

Chief Superintendent Burnes said it was "amazing" to see communities rally together, but encouraged residents to stay safe while assisting others. 

"Spontaneous volunteers are something we need to embrace … if people can get out there and help communities in that crisis period," he said.

Coopernook Rural Fire Service Captain Sherrie Gaul received phone calls from people isolated and in need of rescue this week.

Her brigade banded together and commandeered an SES boat to rescue 17 people and 10 dogs.

"They were cold, they were wet, they were just so grateful that we got them the help they needed," Ms Gaul said.

"It's multi-agency disaster relief right now and there is never going to be enough RFS, SES, police to help every single person."

Clean-up starts

As the flood threat began moving south on Friday, Flynn Holman said the Cundletown community had cautiously begun the clean-up process. 

He expressed his pride in his local community and how they banded together. 

"They say that home is the people and I think everybody here has really solidified that," Mr Holman said.