NSW mid-north coast continue to face a heightened flood risk depsite the cancellation of a severe weather warning, the SES has warned.
Residents of Wingham, Fosteron and Bandon Grove have been urged to prepare to isolate, with floodwaters not expected to peak until Saturday evening.
NSW SES State Duty Commander Nicole Hogan said in a statement on Saturday afternoon residents “may find themselves stuck without power and other essential services.”
Watch and act warnings are also in place for parts of Bulahdelah and Dungog.
An emergency warning remains in place for the Ferndale Caravan Park and residents downstream of the Chichester Dam — on which an amber alert has been issued — were advised to prepare to evacuate.
Natural disaster declared in some areas
Earlier, the state and federal governments to declared a natural disaster in three northern areas amid the severe storms.
Wind gusts of up to 100km/h throughout the week left more than 100,000 Sydney customers without power, and 40,000 were still without electricity on Saturday morning, Ausgrid said.
Power outages are still occurring in Port Stephens, Newcastle, Hunter, Central Coast and parts of Sydney.
The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) received 2,825 calls for help on Friday night, including four flood rescues.
Warnings are in place for communities and campers northwest of Newcastle, downstream of the Chichester Dam.
Emergency services attend the scene of a fallen tree blocking the road near Hyde Park in Sydney, Friday. Source: AAP / Steven Saphore
“We do currently have some communities and some locations that are becoming isolated, and the warnings reflect that, and we’re very closely engaged with the local communities,” SES commissioner Michael Wassing told reporters on Saturday.
“Most of our other calls are associated with significant storming impact around the Sydney area, particularly North Sydney.”
On Friday afternoon, at least two people were injured when a large fig tree in Hyde Park crashed to the ground across a footpath and onto a busy street.
Two people suffering minor injuries were transported to the nearby St Vincent’s Hospital for treatment, a NSW Ambulance spokesperson said.
Earlier in the week, a man in his 80s was killed when a tree fell on his car overnight in the state’s central west.
Natural disaster declared
The NSW government, along with federal Emergency Management Minister Jenny McAllister, declared the severe storms a natural disaster in three areas of NSW, opening up disaster payments for families and businesses affected.
The three local government areas are Maitland, Port Stephens and Snowy Valleys.
“The assistance activated today will ensure communities can access essential supplies and accommodation and ensure councils can start clean up and repairs,” McAllister said.
“This is a time when individuals need to think about their own risks and listen to advice.”
Heavy rainfall and damaging winds were set to continue on Saturday morning but ease off in the afternoon, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
Rainfalls up to 120mm could fall in alpine areas across NSW.
Hazardous surf warnings will remain in place for the Sydney and Illawarra coasts.
Tropical low likely to form in WA
In Western Australia, a tropical low is likely to form north of Pilbara, with a high chance of becoming a tropical cyclone.
Damaging winds may develop on coastal and island communities between De Grey and Dampier from early Sunday, extending to Exmouth on Sunday night.
While the expected cyclone will move offshore before it develops, large waves could cause minor flooding between De Grey and Exmouth.
