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.
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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.