Police are pleading with locals not to try to drive through floodwaters as deadly flooding continues to affect the Hunter and Mid North Coast regions.
One woman is missing after her vehicle was swept away while trying to broach a flooded causeway at Rothbury, near Cessnock, while her female travelling companion was rescued after managing to make it to an embankment, along with her pet dog.
Nearby, a 40-year-old man was plucked to safety after being found clinging to a tree.
Police warn some roads have suffered severe damage, which may not be visible to motorists because of surface water.
Parts of the New England Highway have been blanketed in snow, with hundreds of vehicles becoming stuck.
Weather warnings remain in place across north-east NSW and major flood warnings are active for the Hunter, Peel and Namoi Rivers.
More than 50 Watch and Act warnings are in place in areas including Singleton, Muswellbrook, Aberdeen, Denman and Scone.
The Bureau of Meteorolgy said that while rain is expected to ease over the next 24 hours, up to 80mm was still possible in areas of the Hunter.
And the SES warned that while rain and snow should start to abate, flooding was still a major risk.
Some 1,300 volunteers had responded to more than 15,000 calls for help by midday on Sunday, mostly for storm damage.
At one stage parts of Scone were placed on emergency alert, although that has since been downgraded after floodwaters peaked and began to recede.
Images: P Holland (Australian Radio Network)
