50,000 people have been isolated by floodwaters, according to media reports
At least three people were killed, one still missing, and tens of thousands stranded as raging floodwaters inundated towns, causing power cuts and road closures in Australia's New South Wales (NSW) state, media reports said Thursday.
The deceased have been reported missing on the state's mid-north coast, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Two of three previously missing people were confirmed dead by police. A 60-year-old woman was found dead in her car in Brooklana, and the body of a man was found near Rosewood.
Flood warnings for NSW residents have expanded to new regions as "life-threatening" heavy rain continues to hammer the state's mid-north coast.
NSW Police confirmed on Thursday that the body of a 63-year-old man was found in his flood-hit home in the Moto region on the state's mid-north coast, while an estimated 50,000 people have been isolated by the floodwaters.
Already badly hit Hunter Valley and mid-north coast regions are expected to receive another heavy rain spell throughout Thursday.
"We are bracing for more bad news," NSW Premier Chris Minns told reporters on Thursday.
Weather authorities are expecting 100 millimeters (3.9 inches) of rain in the general area of operations over the next 24 hours, but in isolated areas it could get between 200 millimeters and 300 millimeters, according to Minns.
Some 2,500 emergency workers, trucks and boats, and 10 helicopters have been deployed to cope with the "incredibly volatile" situation.
About 14 evacuation centers are open for the evacuees.
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