Hundreds of people in Forbes, in Central West New South Wales are being ordered to evacuate ahead of forecast major flooding.
The State Emergency Service has issued an evacuation order for the central business district and the town's south, east, west, north east and north-west to leave by 8pm.
The Lachlan River is expected to reach a major flood peak of 10.6 metres later on Thursday or on Friday.
The order is in place for around 250 homes and 78 streets across much of the town.
SES spokesman Lachlan Gilchrist said the orders had been issued in response to updated information from the Bureau of Meteorology.
"We just want to make sure the community has plenty of time to take that advice and move away from that area," he said.
Mr Gilchrist expected around 500 residents would be affected and urged them to "follow this advice carefully".
"Obviously we're very concerned.
"A key concern for us is the ability for people to seek a means of safety if the roads are flooded."
An evacuation centre has been set up at the Saint Andrew's Presbyterian Church on Harold Street.
Search for missing man
Police say a multi-agency search is underway for a man believed to be missing in floodwaters near Hillston, in the state's west.
Phillip Alvaro, 63, left a rural property on Lachlan Valley Way at midday on Tuesday.
Police said the man told a friend that he would return shortly.
He was reported missing several hours later.
A search involving police, PolAir, NSW Ambulance and the SES resumed this morning, with a focus on the property and Lachlan River.
Police are yet to confirm whether the man was in a vehicle.
Isolation taking its toll
Rural areas around Forbes have faced ongoing isolation, or the threat of isolation, due to floodwaters for weeks.
Ross Emery drove to his family's place at Bedgerabong, west of the town, earlier this week but said he would likely need to use a boat the next time he dropped off groceries.
He said his parents were quite self-sufficient but had been unable to leave their property for a fortnight — although that was nothing compared to the 1990 inundation, when they were isolated for six months.
Mr Emery's stepmother, Rose, said she always found ways to keep busy on the farm during floods but it could "become very monotonous".
"Once I exhaust the cooking, which I love doing, there's always an animal or two outside to look after and a garden to try to keep the cockatoos out of," she said.
The isolation also meant her husband, a contract farmer, could not get to work.
"That's quite frustrating for him as well as being detrimental for us as far as survival goes," she said.
Further south, the Murrumbidgee River had reached 9.2m at Wagga Wagga overnight, where moderate flooding has been occurring for more than 24 hours.
The SES said it appeared the river had peaked below the forecast of 9.3m, but there was still concern that residents of North Wagga Wagga, Moorong and Gumly Gumly could be isolated.
