Major flooding and heavy rain continued in the NSW Mid North Coast region today as the Bureau of Meteorology warned more areas will be affected by severe weather and insurers started receiving claims. 

“We are seeing levels of rise in local tributaries, creeks, rivers that we haven’t seen since 1920, and many people would not have seen this level of inundation and flooding in their communities,” premier Chris Minns said today.

The government says the State Emergency Service has responded to more than 4000 incidents and 500 rescues have taken place. 

The bureau’s Steve Bernasconi says parts of the region have received half a metre of rainfall in three days, and flooding at Taree was the highest since 1929.  

In the 24 hours to 9am, significant falls included 336mm at Belligen, 242mm at Coffs Harbour and 169mm at Kempsey Airport. 

The bureau says the weather system is expected to contract to the south tomorrow, but a severe weather warning remains in place for an area from north of Coffs Harbour to south of Forster until late tonight, with 12-hourly rainfall totals of 90-120mm likely.

It has also issued a warning for a region extending from the lower Hunter through Katoomba in the Blue Mountains to northwest of Bowral. 

Moderate rainfall today is expected to increase overnight in that region, with areas of heavy rain leading to possible flash flooding from early tomorrow until the evening. 

The Insurance Council of Australia yesterday declared the floods a significant event and said it was closely monitoring severe weather across the state. 

Suncorp said today it had received 317 claims as of 9am related to heavy rain and flooding across Taree, Port Macquarie and Wallsend, with volumes expected to rise as affected residents return home and assess the full extent of the damage. 

“We have robust capacity within our supply chain to respond to this quickly and efficiently, and our teams are ready to be on the ground in impacted communities as soon as it is safe to do so,” chief executive consumer insurance Lisa Harrison said. 

IAG says claims personnel, property assessors and its partner builders are on standby to support customers.