Flooded residents are warned to prepare for long periods of isolation after parts of Australia’s east copped four months of rain in two days.

More than 150 rescues were carried out on Wednesday 21 May, including helicopters lifting stranded occupants off their roofs to safety in the Hunter and Mid-North Coast.

Record-breaking floods in Taree came from a staggering 412mm of rain in 48 hours, as the Manning River peaked at 6.4m and inundated businesses across the town.

“(That) is essentially five times the monthly rainfall for May for Taree,” the Bureau of Meteorology’s (BoM) Steve Bernasconi said in Maitland.

“In essence, it’s received one-third of its average annual rainfall in two days.”

A coastal trough is moving slowly over the Mid-North Coast, too, and bringing moderate to heavy rain to several towns, with some parts to take another 200mm in coming days.

Five helicopters are involved in rooftop rescues, with another four on the way including two Australian Defence Force (ADF) choppers.

More than 1,600 NSW SES volunteers are on the job as community members across towns band together to offer support.

Taree might only be isolated for a day but other parts of the state could be trapped for up to a week, including Hinton and Millers Forest, Northern Zone Commander Chief Superintendent Andrew Cribb said.

“Those communities that suffer that isolation… we’ve been engaging with them well prior to these floods arriving, we’ve had the evacuation orders out, and now today (are) very much our focus for the rescue operations,” he added.

More than 90 warnings were in place on Wednesday afternoon after falls of up to 280mm.

“For those people waiting to be rescued, we know this takes time,” Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib said.

“We are working on it.

“It’s a priority and we ask you to be patient.”

The bulk of rescues were in Taree, Wingham and Glenthorne, including several cars caught driving into floodwater.

Many people reported water rising into their homes as the night progressed, with some needing to seek refuge on their roofs, the SES said.

Another 200mm to 300mm may fall in the next two days, impacting the Coffs Coast and northern tablelands as well.

“What we had 24 hours ago was in the Hunter area, then the Mid-North Coast and is slowly moving into the north-east,” Mr Cribb said.

The Myall River is among the areas on flood watch, with locals warned to monitor forecasts and rainfall.

NSW SES crews have also been doorknocking in high-risk areas and evacuation centres are open at the following locations:

• Dungog RSL Club
• Club Gloucester
• Club Taree
• Manning Point Bowling Club
• Wingham RSL  
• Bulahdelah Golf Club
• Tuncurry Beach Bowling Club
• Kempsey Showground
• Panthers Port Macquarie

To stay up to date with the latest warnings and advice, download the Hazards Near Me app.

For evacuation centre locations and more information, visit the NSW SES website.

For more news stories:

• BoM warns of further flooding in Hunter as drivers continue to push their luck
• Hunter schools remain closed as big wet continues
• Council closes Fitzgerald Bridge at Raymond Terrace

Get all the latest Newcastle news, sport, real estate, entertainment, lifestyle and more delivered straight to your inbox with the Newcastle Weekly Daily Newsletter. Sign up here.