An aerial view of the Lachlan River in and around Forbes.
Rising floodwaters expected to inundate two rural NSW towns may cause problems with power and sewage for several days, despite lower and later-than-predicted peaks.
Residents at Forbes are being advised to evacuate as the Lachlan River swells to an estimated peak of 10.7m by midnight Sunday following 17mm of rain overnight Saturday.
The ADF, NSWFRS, RFS and SES are at nearby Condobolin, building barricades with sandbags as they wait for the water to arrive, and it's likely authorities will be busy in the area for another few weeks, SES spokeswoman Sue Pritchard said.
"It's slow to rise and slow to fall," she said on Sunday evening.
Since the rain began on August 30, the SES has received 2343 calls for assistance and has performed 96 flood rescues.
No people needed rescuing on Sunday but volunteers were kept busy saving horses, cattle and sheep at properties expected to be impacted.
More rain is due on Wednesday and Thursday and it's likely residents won't be able to return home for between three to five days, depending on river peaks and rainfall, Ms Pritchard said.
While flooding in Forbes has surpassed the 1990 floods, in which the Lachlan River reached 10.65m, the worst is now being predicted to hit next week. The Bureau of Meteorology predicts a second, higher peak next week near Condobolin and Euabalong.
About 1000 people in Forbes were ordered to evacuate on Saturday while residents at Condobolin remain on stand-by pending possible further flooding.
© NSW SES Lachlan RegionFlooding in Forbes, New South Wales.
NSW Deputy Premier Troy Grant said the flooding will have a long-term impact on farming communities.
"What's coming is worrying the population more than what will happen tomorrow morning," he told Sky News.
He said there had been significant stock and crop losses already, and the full impact of the flooding wouldn't be known until the waters subsided but many farming families would be without their normal income.
"Around here, most of the harvesting is done in November and a lot of those crops have been washed away," Mr Grant said.
Farmers in flood-affected regions are nervously waiting to see how much damage has been done to crops once the waters recede, a NSW Farmers spokesman said. To date more than 2000 sheep and more than 1000 head of cattle have been moved to higher ground.
Residents have been advised delays could mean roads becoming congested or closed, and warned to prepare to be away from their homes for at least five days.
SES acting commissioner Mark Morrow warned residents that if they remained, they could lose power and probably won't have telephones.
"There is no good reason to stay if you are going to be inundated with water," he said.
Flood warnings remain in place for towns across the NSW central west.
The plea comes as the NSW government evaluates the impact of the floods on crops and farming communities.
"What's coming is worrying the population more than what will happen tomorrow morning,"
Source: AAP
Comment: Earlier this month flooding affected Victoria and South Australia following record rainfall.