NSW storms tragedy: 'There are people in there!'
An elderly woman's body has been retrieved from her car, which was swept off a road into floodwaters near Maitland in the NSW Hunter.
The woman's small silver hatchback was one of two cars that were swept into floodwaters at Wallis Creek before horrified onlookers about 9am.
Several people ran into the rising waters to help, but they too quickly needed rescuing.
"There are people in there!" a bystander reportedly cried out as others raced to help.
Horrified witnesses could do nothing as the woman's car was swept into Wallis Creek along Cessnock Road in the Hunter region.
It was not until Wednesday evening that police located the two vehicles.
Divers were able to confirm no one was in the second vehicle, but as night fell they retrieved the body of an 86-year-old Gillieston Heights woman from the first car.
Although officials were initially told there were two women in the hatchback car, it's now believed the driver was the only person in the car.
"At this time, there have been no reports of people missing that could be connected to this incident," NSW Police said in a statement.
It's believed the woman had been driving in a convoy of cars, led by four-wheel drives, across a flooded section of road when a red Falcon stalled in front of her and she tried to drive around it.
Two drivers also died in a head-on collision on the drenched New England Highway near Singleton on Wednesday afternoon.
It comes after three elderly people died due in floodwaters in Dungog on Tuesday.
The woman and two men reportedly died in their homes as water surged through the small town after more than 300mm of rain fell in 24 hours.
Pure destruction in the town of Dungog. Source: Getty
Sydney man rescued from floodwaters
A teenager was swept from his bicycle by floodwater in western Sydney, and was forced to cling to a tree until emergency services could rescue him.
The 18-year-old was riding alongside the flooding Penrith Weir with two friends shortly after midnight on Thursday when he fell into the water.
He was able to grab onto a nearby tree and hold on while emergency services were called, and rescuers could bring him to shore.
While no one was hurt during the incident, police say it serves as a safety reminder as NSW prepares for more of the flooding that has already claimed four lives.
The Bureau of Meteorologist says the worst of wild weather is over, but have warned that flood peaks will still come on Thursday despite less rainfall across the state's east coast.
Cyclonic conditions that have lashed Sydney and surrounding regions for days have left a trail of destruction, including more than 200,000 homes without power as of Wednesday evening.
Bureau of Meteorologist forecaster Jake Phillips says aside from some intense showers, the weather is easing.
"Showers will be nothing like what we've seen in the past few days," he told AAP on Wednesday night.
Storm victims have been warned to be wary of floods as they clean up their homes.
A second storm cell off the NSW coast is set to bring more heavy rain and thunderstorms. Photo: AAP
Town like 'war zone' after superstorm
With authorities advising the worst was over, stories from some of the worst-hit areas continued to emerge, with the town of Dungog where three people were killed and homes washed away described as a "war zone".
Three people were killed in Dungog, after a flash flood swept through the town on Tuesday morning.
Colin Webb, 79, Brian Wilson, 72 and Robin MacDonald, 68, were all believed to have been trapped in their residences with the men caught in their retirement village homes while Ms MacDonald had refused to leave her pets.
NSW Premier Mike Baird has urged people in the worst-hit areas to "hang tough", confirming Dungog, bucketed with 300 millimetres of rain in 24 hours, along with Maitland and parts of the Central Coast, would be declared natural disaster zones.
"With the storm easing, we're beyond that and what's going to be the key focus is getting our communities back on their feet," Mr Baird said.
"To give you a sense of the size and scope - in Dungog there's more rain that has come down in the last 24 hours than they have seen in a 24-hour period for the past century."
Helicopters had been dispatched to assess the damage.
"It's like a war-zone," Fire & Rescue NSW Superintendent Greg Rankin said.
Rescue crews help an elderly woman and children from their stranded home at Schofields @7NewsSydney pic.twitter.com/1jKykcjfTX
— Amanda Abate (@AmandaAbate) April 22, 2015
Dungog resident Colleen Jones spoke of the horror of the rising floodwaters and watching her home be washed away.
"We just got out," she said just metres from where her home was ripped from its foundations.
"I was just terrified," she told AAP.
"It is just unbelievable, the current of water. It is just heartbreaking.
"It was just horrific to watch, just to see your house crumble."
As of Wednesday evening, more than 205,000 homes were without power.
More than 110 people had been rescued from floodwaters, while emergency services had responded to more than 11,100 calls for help since Monday.
So far there have been more than 19,500 insurance claims across NSW.
The opening of Sydney Harbour brought to an end a long, uncomfortable wait off shore for more than 2000 passengers aboard a cruise ship that had been prevented from entering on Tuesday.
The Carnival Spirit docked at Circular Quay on Wednesday morning.
Dungog resident Colleen Jones has spoken of her escape from the flood that swept away her house. Photo: AAP
Dungog in pieces, but locals band together
She escaped rising waters only to watch her home being washed away, but Dungog resident Colleen Jones was one of the lucky ones.
As locals returned to their mud-filled homes in the NSW Hunter town, they remembered Colin Webb, 79, Robin MacDonald, 68 and Brian Wilson, 72, who died in Tuesday's pre-dawn flood.
The trio were all believed to have been trapped in their homes, with Ms MacDonald refusing to leave her pets.
Mr Webb was remembered for his love of singing in the choir, playing bowls and daily walks.
"He was just a lovely gentleman, he used to come by here ... it was his daily ritual," Ms Jones told AAP, metres from where her own home was ripped from its foundations and floated away.
Hugging friends in the street on Wednesday afternoon, she said: "We just got out".
"It is just unbelievable, the current of water. It is just heartbreaking.
"It was just horrific to watch, just to see your house crumble."
Ms Jones, who spent Tuesday night at the local pub with her husband Stephen, said she had lost everything in the flood.
With the water having receded, all that was left of her home was some wood and bricks with the area taped off.
Ms Jones located a treasured photo of her and her brothers when they were young around the corner from her home.
Her car was smashed up, and ended up in front of the mechanics across the road.
Local residents were supplying her with clothes and toiletries.
Pauline Cambourne was fortunate to keep her home.
The 60-year-old's belongings crunched under her feet as she surveyed the line of mud that marked how close the waters rose to her ceiling.
"We woke up at 5.10am and within 15 minutes the water hit my waistline," Ms Cambourne said.
Businesses have also been destroyed in the town.
"I'm devastated," said Bev Irwin, owner of Reliance Motor Company.
"We've got staff without jobs.
"You don't know where to start the clean up."
Morning news break – April 23
