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Emergency service officials are begging people not to drive through floodwaters as days of persistent, heavy rain potentially threaten lives across parts of one state.
Much of NSW's mid-north coast and Hunter region has copped the barrage, with 24 flood rescues performed overnight in those areas.
About 4000 homes on the mid-north coast have been without power, while another 400 in the Newcastle region are in the same position.
The Lostock and Glennies Creek dams, in the Hunter region, are continuing to spill, while the nearby Paterson River has exceeded the major flood level.
The Bureau of Meteorology said the Paterson River at Gostwyck Bridge is steady at a peak near 14m, higher than the 13.61m seen in the 2021 floods.
Taree, on the state's mid-north coast, took the worst of the rain with more than 160mm in six hours overnight, and 267mm since 9am on Monday.
"This is a multi-day weather event that's turned into a multi-day flood event," the bureau's Steve Bernasconi said.
"It'll be focused on the Hunter and the mid north coast (on Tuesday) and into (Wednesday), with the potential for rainfall to still persist along the coast into the end of the week and weekend.
"The significant message is that the soils are completely saturated, and any rainfall that falls will run off and go straight into the creeks and rivers."
The SES received 2000 calls in the 24 hours to 5am today, responding to 1400 incidents, evacuating 60 people and performing 24 flood rescues.
A number of those rescues were necessary after people drove through flood waters, Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib said.
"I don't know how many times I need to say this: please do not drive through flood waters," he said.
Anne Cross, a resident of Taree was trying to drive out of her hometown when she was turned around.
"We just attempted to come down and under the railway underpass the water could've been as high as two metres," she told AAP.
"It's probably the worst I've seen it."
More than 30 schools will be closed today in the mid-north coast, Central Coast and Hunter regions due to flooding.
Warnings for flooding on catchments across the mid-north coast and Hunter regions remain in place, while people in Taree are being advised to take shelter.
The SES has also asked people in isolated locations in the area to evacuate, including at Dungog, Paterson, Gloucester, Bulahdelah and Chinchester Dam.
Four evacuation centres have been set up, in Wingham, Taree, Dungog and Bulahdelah.
The Bureau of Meteorology forecasts rain levels between 60 to 100mm in six hours today in parts of the mid-north coast and Hunter, increasing to 100 to 190mm in isolated locations.
While damaging winds and surf are expected to ease later today, the widespread rain is tipped to stick around for some days.
That will also make driving dangerous and could cause detours and delays, the bureau warns.
