A natural disaster has been declared in parts of New South Wales and with floodwaters still rapidly rising, more than 50,000 people have had to evacuate.
There are also 21 crew members still stranded on board a cargo ship that has been slammed by storms off the coast of Sydney.
With the declaration of a natural disaster came the deployment of the army into the battle against rising floodwaters and more certainty that this is becoming Sydney's worst-ever flooding event.
Home after home, family after family, they save what they can carry with them.
Resident Brett Connor said his whole house has gone underwater.
"The kitchen, living rooms, bedrooms, they’re all under. All the furniture, we've saved what we can but most will have to be thrown out."
The flooding has come from Sydney’s largest dam, which has been spilling tonnes of water every minute that then surges toward the towns and suburbs.
"This has added a bit more catastrophe to the area for sure," Connor said.
More than 55,000 residents across Sydney have been told to evacuate and more than 100 rescues have been made since the flooding began.
Among the rescues were animals, with a horse and three cows being rescued by people in the community.
Evacuated resident Dan Street said they have been through a lot.
"We went through a flood, then COVID, then flood, flood, flood and now another flood," he said.
"It's a bit heartbreaking but what do you do? You just carry on, that's what us Aussies do, I suppose. Same as the Kiwis, they're the same."
