Update Thursday 6.30pm:
Moderate flooding has followed the Hunter River's peak at Wollombi Thursday, exceeding both the major flood level trigger point and peak levels recorded in the area's last flood event in March.
Similarly, waters well above levels recorded that month have resulted in a major flood event at Bulga where the river peaked at 9.11 metres Wednesday afternoon, the state emergency service said in a statement Thursday evening.
An evacuation order remains in place at Wollombi, as well as for residents at Congewai, Paynes Crossing, Laguna, Bucketty, Ellalong and Millfield, as SES crews direct residents to make for higher ground, though the Wollombi Brook has been falling since around 1am Wednesday when it reached its peak of 14.2 metres. The river level was around 10.53 metres Thursday evening as moderate flooding continued to inundate the area, the SES said.
Emergency responders have warned low-lying properties along the Wollombi Brook may still experience high flood waters, including areas around Great North, Wollombi, Paynes Crossing, and Yango Creek roads. Gleghorns, Cuneens and Williams bridges remain closed.
An evacuation order remains in place at Bulga as well, where the river peaked around 9.11 metres, the SES said, and has since fallen to around 8.25 metres.
Residents in areas that may have been impacted by flooding in low-lying areas of Wollombi Brook area should have relocated to family or friends outside the impact area, the SES said in its latest situation update.
Update Thursday 3:00pm
THE MAN who saved a 10-month-old baby in medical distress has been applauded for a brave rescue across floodwaters at Bulga.
Lee Archer, an Ausgrid employee, was on the ground in the Hunter helping clean up from the recent flooding and restore power to at least 2,700 homes when he received word a baby was having difficulties breathing.
"It's a humbling experience to be part of the network with Ausgrid, the RFS, SES and Surf Life Saving," he said.
"We're all a link in a strong chain up here in the Hunter and always join together to make sure the job gets done."
The infant was rescued from a flooded property at Bulga near Singleton shortly before 4:30pm on Wednesday.
A NSW Ambulance paramedic crew and a Community First Responder unit rushed to the scene where the patient was transported on a boat across floodwaters in a daring rescue to an ambulance parked near the flooded Bulga Bridge.
Mr Archer is a member of the Swansea Belmont Surf Life Saving Club and is a well-respected member of his community.
Ausgrid's chief customer officer Rob Amphlett Lewis said staff are on the ground working hard in challenging conditions to ensure the welfare and safety of others.
"It's amazing to see the impact they can have on the lives of those who are in need most," he said.
"We are so proud to have Lee on the team."
An evacuation order was issued to Bulga and Broke residents earlier this week.
A number of roads have been closed due to floodwaters, including parts of the New England Highway from Muswellbrook to Whittingham and the New England Highway at Maitland between High Street, Church Street and Cessnock Road.
Update Thursday 11:30am
AT LEAST 2,700 homes are without power in parts of the Central Coast, Lake Macquarie and pockets of Sydney as the weather wreaks havoc across the Ausgrid network.
Mooney Mooney Creek, Ourimbah, Wiseman's Ferry, Wyong, West and East Gosford, Morisset and Lake Macquarie are among those hit by power outages as Ausgrid crews remain on the ground in Singleton.
Crews are working around the clock to progressively restore power as quickly and safely as possible, but flooding has caused significant issues with access and it's expected some locations could be without power for days.
Ausgrid has advised the public to ensure mobile devices are charged and to follow the advice of NSW SES crews.
Any fallen wires should be reported to Ausgrid on 13 13 88.
Update Thursday 11am:
AN INFANT with breathing difficulties has been rescued from a flooded property at Bulga near Singleton shortly before 4:30pm on Wednesday afternoon.
A NSW Ambulance paramedic crew and a Community First Responder unit rushed to the scene where a male paediatric patient was showing signs of breathing difficulties.
The patient was transported on a boat across flood waters in a daring rescue by Community First Responders to an ambulance parked near the flooded Bulga Bridge.
NSW Ambulance Hunter Zone inspector Jake Broughton Rose said any callout involving an infant with breathing difficulties is concerning, let alone in a flood zone.
"The Community First Responders did an outstanding job in assessing and transporting the patient and mother across floodwaters to the waiting ambulance," he said.
"This was an amazing coordination of multiple agencies that insured an unwell infant could get the care he needed in challenging circumstances."
Paramedics assessed the boy on scene before he was taken to Singleton Hospital in a stable condition.
It comes as an Australian Defence Force helicopter is on stand-by near the Hunter River as Singleton becomes the main concern in NSW's devastating floods.
Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt said a flood levee in Singleton was expected to hold despite intense rain in recent days, with the helicopter stationed primarily for night-time search and rescue.
Three ADF helicopters are mobilised, while no additional troops are currently headed to NSW to assist with the emergency situation.
"As I understand it, (no helicopters) were required last night but there is now one that's stationed in the Hunter and available for use," Senator Watt told Sky News.
"We've got 250 troops that have been activated and made available to the NSW government, basically to help supplement the SES but we have indicated repeatedly ... if they feel they need more assistance, then we'd obviously consider that."
Federal government disaster payments of $1000 go online from 2pm on Thursday, with Senator Watt expecting a barrage of applications given some 40,000 people are currently subject to evacuation orders.
Singleton is still not among the 23 local government areas identified for support.
He denied the government was not doing enough to support people who had felt huge impacts such as losing a business.
"(The $1000 payment) really is intended as an immediate injection of funds to people who, for instance, need to restock their fridge and they've lost all their clothes - some sort of an immediate payment so that people can actually put clothes on their back and food on their table," he said.
"But there will be a wider range of payments available to people such as small businesses and farmers who have suffered damage, and those amounts are much more extensive than the $1000."
Taking a long-term view, Senator Watt acknowledged preparing for future events and flood-proofing vulnerable regions would need to become a priority.
"We're certainly prepared to talk about those kinds of things because while they cost a lot of money to do, we're also spending a huge amount of money every time we have to repair the infrastructure in homes and make these payments," he said.
Earlier
BULADELAH residents are the latest to succumb to evacuation orders as low-lying areas across the Hunter are inundated with floodwater.
The NSW SES has directed people to evacuate high danger areas before the floodwater passes 3.5 metres on the Bulahdelah guage and roads begin to close.
The affected areas are low-lying properties in River Street, Myall Street, Richmond Street west of Alexandra Street, Stuart Street west of Alexandra Street, Stroud Street south of Stuart Street, Blanch Street west of Crawford Street, Prince Street south of Richmond Street, Jackson Street, Alexandra Street south of Stuart Street, Rotary Park on the banks of the Myall River and the Buladelah Showground.
It's expected that once floodwater inundates the area, road acces, water, sewerage, power, phones and internet may be lost.
Anyone who remains in the area may be trapped and it could be too dangerous for the SES to perform a rescue.
An evacuation centre has opened at Buladelah Golf Club on Recovery Road.
Major flooding is possible at Maitland overnight on Thursday into Friday as heavy rainfall since Sunday morning caused river level rises across the Hunter River catchment.
The river at Belmore Bridge may reach the major flood level of 10.5m overnight from Thursday into Friday.
Significant river level rises have been seen along Wollombi Brook, where the river peaked with major flooding above the March flood. Water levels are slowly falling.
Flood levels reached a peak of 9.11m at Bulga, the highest recorded level since 1952. The peak is now 1m higher than in 1952.
Along the Lower Hunter River, major flooding is still occuring at Singleton where river levels surpassed the March flood level of 13.15m on Wednesday afternoon and peaked at 13.7m early on Thursday morning.
Minor flooding is also taking place along the Hunter River at Raymond Terrace and may reach around 3m on Thursday evening.
The Hunter River at Raymond Terrace may reach around 3.00 metres Thursday evening, with minor flooding.
The SES has warned locals to stay out of rising water and seek refuge in the highest place available, move vehicles under cover, stay out of fast-flowing creeks and storm drains and never drive, ride or walk through flood water.
For emergency help in floods and storms, call the NSW State Emergency Service on 132 500.
In life-threatening situations call Triple Zero (000) immediately.
