While thousands of residents in northern New South Wales grapple with the clean-up of a deadly flood disaster, many in the Clarence Valley are still bracing for the worst to come.
Cracks have formed in the levee along the Clarence River, as the local council scrambles to keep the water at bay from towns like Maclean.
Clarence Valley Council general manager Laura Black said crews were working on remedial works to prevent slips on the levee.
"The reality is that the Clarence levee itself is very wet and quite soft ... so the whole of the levee is being monitored."
The SES issued an evacuation order for low-lying properties in Maclean this morning.
It comes as heavy rain and storms again hit the North Coast area, causing some residents in West Ballina to evacuate.
Some people also had to be winched to safety, including a family of five from their home in Ballina.
Meanwhile in Lismore, which was hit by the region's worst flood on record early Monday morning, four people have been confirmed dead.
Severe food, fuel shortages
There are also reports of widespread shortages of essential goods, including food, across the North Coast region.
Ballina resident Dane Quiring told the ABC he has been stuck at a motel without access to food.
"It's shocking — we're struggling to get north or south [and] there's no food," he said.
Woolworths Northern NSW and Queensland assistant state manager Eamon Perry said receding floodwaters had allowed stores to begin replenishing stock in some regions, including in Lismore, Casino, Mullumbimby, Byron Bay and Lennox Heads.
"We're now sending as much stock of essential products into these stores as possible," he said.
"Unfortunately, with the disruptions to supply in recent days and the high demand from communities restocking essentials, we know there's likely to be some gaps on shelves for a while longer."
Fuel shortages are also being felt across the region.
Australasian Convenience and Petroleum Marketers Association chief executive Mark McKenzie said it was going to take time to get fuel into many flood-affected regions.
"We've seen unprecedented damage to our service station assets right through the North Coast," he said.
"There are service stations where the water is basically to the top of the canopy.
'Absolute destruction'
Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke said 400 additional personnel, including extra Fire and Rescue strike teams, ADF personnel, RFS volunteers and workers were being sent to Lismore to help with the clean-up.
Lismore City Council said flooding caused severe damage to critical infrastructure across the city.
The potable water supply is running critically low and residents are being urged not to use water to clean properties until told to do so.
Sarah Fish's boss is stuck in Ballina so she and her colleagues are lending a hand to clean up the debris in the discount shop they work in.
Found on Molesworth Street, the locally owned Megachoice store has seen floods before.
"Last time it went a metre in, but this time it's gone all the way to the roof," Ms Fish said.
She said the damage was "much, much worse" than previous floods.
"I don't know how long it is going to take to rebuild this town," Ms Fish said.
City-wide damage
Mayor Steve Krieg said council is working on a plan to repair essential roads, sewerage infrastructure, and water pipes.
"We've had some major land slips across some of the road network ... [and] shattered water pipes that are servicing 80-plus homes," he said.
Water has been cut off to rural parts of Nimbin after an issue with their weir.
Mullumbimby also has limited reserves of water for drinking and household use.
Richmond Valley Council is urging the NSW government to immediately decide how it will fund the removal of flood debris after Casino flooded for the first time ever.
General manager Vaughn McDonald said people should leave rubbish on the side of the road until council works out where it will all be disposed.
Ms Cook says the EPA and Public Works office will "work very closely with councils in that area on waste disposal and whatever else is required to get recovery efforts up and running as quickly as possible".
