Search continues for 53-year-old man feared swept away in Northern NSW floodwaters

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Police and emergency services are continuing the search for a 53-year-old man who authorities fear was swept away in floodwaters in Northern New South Wales. Reporter Myles Houlbrook-Walk has more.

Transcript

00:00Police believe the 53-year-old man went missing around 9.15pm as he attempted to cross a causeway

00:08in Limpinwood, west of Mooloomba.

00:10This is in the far north of New South Wales, which was smashed by wild weather over Friday

00:15and Saturday.

00:16Local landholders described the situation as one that was unlike anything they'd seen

00:21in the region before.

00:22We know there was more than 100mm of rain that fell overnight in certain periods on

00:28Friday and into Saturday there was an isolated storm cell that was very significant.

00:33Elsewhere in the northern rivers we saw minor flood warnings as well issued as such police

00:38have had to temper their search and rescue efforts according to weather conditions.

00:42Today it will resume involving the help of state emergency services, friends and family

00:47of the father and grandfather who's believed to be a Brisbane man, as well as the Queensland

00:52Police's diving unit who will help search local waterways.

00:56His car was found about 400 metres downstream from the causeway abandoned and with no one

01:01inside.

01:02It's believed the 53-year-old man was the only person in the vehicle at the time of

01:06the incident.

01:07Of course police hold incredible concerns for the man's welfare given the time that

01:11has passed since he first went missing and are now hoping to find him in a safe condition

01:16today.

01:17As for the broader weather situation for New South Wales, it's a better picture.

01:20Floodwaters are receding where they were once higher and a final flood alert has been issued

01:25for the Mid North, Coffs, Hunter and Northern Rivers coastal areas and that's because these

01:30floodwaters are receding which bodes well for communities.

01:34Already the Federal Government has said it will allow for disaster payments to people

01:38in affected regions while the State Government is saying it will waive fees for people needing

01:43to take things to rubbish tips to dispose of their rubbish in those areas that is a

01:48result of these wild and chaotic storms.

01:51Clearer and clearer skies right across the east coast now with that trough moving from

01:55the east coast but the clean up effort is still very much underway.

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