BREAKING NEWS NSW floods death toll rises to five as body is found in burnt-out car and communities remain cutoff

Daily Mail​

23-05-2025

A fifth person has died in a region devastated by floods after dangerous conditions prevented emergency crews from accessing a home.
The body of a man believed to be his 80s was found inside a burnt-out vehicle in a shed on a Cooplacurripa property, about 50km north-west of Taree on the NSW mid-north coast.
A concern for welfare had been raised on Wednesday after the shed was reportedly spotted alight, but severe weather conditions prevented crews from getting to the property by road.
Access to the home was only possible by helicopter with officers arriving early on Friday afternoon, NSW Police said in a statement.
In some welcome news, a man missing in Nymboida has been located safe and well.
However, police have not ruled out floods as a factor in the disappearance of another man in Bellingen.
The intense rainfall that has battered the mid-north coast for several days moved south on Friday, but communities remain cut off and it will take some time to recover once floodwaters recede.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Premier Chris Minns planned to visit hard-hit Taree but their attempt to meet affected locals was called off, further highlighting the town's isolation by its second major flood in four years.
'We've heard word from local MPs and businesses that they've had a torrid three days, incredibly difficult circumstances,' Mr Minns said from Maitland.
'We know it will take a long time to get that community back up on its feet.'
Port Macquarie local Margret Meagher said the town took 18 months to recover from its last major flood and it would be important for the community to band together.
'People feel they're isolated, so that's where the whole community spirit is so pivotal,' she said.
More than 1600 insurance claims have already been made, according to the Insurance Council of Australia.
'Insurers stand ready to serve customers through the oncoming recovery period,' chief executive Andrew Hall said.
Of the five deaths linked to the record-breaking floods, three have involved drivers.
The body of a man in his late 70s was found on Friday after his vehicle appeared to be swept off a causeway at Nana Glen near Coffs Harbour.
Fire and Rescue NSW crews moving house to house to account for flood victims and their pets
Another man died at a flooded home near Taree, as did a driver west of Port Macquarie and a 60-year-old woman near Coffs Harbour.
But hundreds of people would be dead without SES volunteers, the premier said.
The prime minister announced assistance grants of $180 per person or $900 for families would roll out in coming days.
Those unable to work in the hardest-hit areas will have access to disaster recovery allowance from Monday.
'Tragically, we're seeing more extreme weather events,' Mr Albanese said.
The SES has conducted 736 flood rescues.
But with the rate of rescue requests decreasing, volunteers are focusing on getting supplies to the 50,000 people isolated by floodwaters.
Locals in Port Macquarie took things into their own hands, boating food to people in the city's northern suburbs.
The slow-moving trough that dumped months of rain over the mid-north coast also brought heavy falls south to the Hunter, Blue Mountains, Sydney and Southern Highlands.
Drier conditions are forecast in the flood-ridden areas but residents are not out of danger.
'There are waters still moving quite quickly through the river systems, a lot of debris around so it's quite dangerous,' Bureau of Meteorology's Jane Golding said.
Increased wind on Monday and Tuesday could also uproot trees and buildings from sodden soil.
Police warned Sydney drivers to exercise caution in the wet after two deaths overnight - including a 95-year-old hit by a car in Liverpool.
Disaster assistance has been expanded, with 19 areas now eligible for support.