The community of Lismore is grieving the loss of familiar faces and a town icon as the death toll of the northern NSW town's flood crisis rises.
As floodwaters ease in the state's north, the clean up has began in houses and businesses inundated by the region's worst flood on record.
The subsiding of waters which came up to the roofs of houses this week has also led to the grim of discovery of people who perished in the catastrophic weather event.
There have been four deaths confirmed so far — two men and two women.
Stuart Bock had not been seen since he was swept away about 4.30pm on Sunday and on Wednesday, a relative confirmed on social media his had been identified.
"He told a friend he was heading for the Gollan [hotel] but the staff said he never came," she wrote.
"Thank you all so much for the kind words, well wishes and offers of hope in this unbearably agonising time."
A friend of Mr Bock, Xavier Girard, told the ABC the 56-year-old had a "happy and magnetic nature" and would be sorely missed.
"I am gutted, a top bloke gone too soon," he said. "He was so proud of his kids and grandkids."
Earlier today, authorities said they recovered the body of a man at about 11am.
It followed reports the body had been seen floating down the main street of Lismore.
Then at 2pm, State Emergency Service volunteers found the body of a man, believed to be aged in his 70s, inside a flooded unit on Cromer Street, South Lismore.
It followed the discovery of two women, each in their 80s, who were found inside their Lismore homes yesterday.
One of those women was 84-year-old Lorraine Hyman, who lived on Ewing Street in Lismore.
Her neighbour said he was hoping to save her but ran out of time while rescuing his own mother.
Marge Graham, 82, who was a local radio presenter in Lismore, also died in the floodwaters.
Locals say Ms Graham was a singer-songwriter and organised many country music events and charity fundraisers.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said the state could "expect more tragedy to occur".
"From what we've seen ... as the floods recede, we're are going to see more tragedy," he said.
NSW Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke said the "next 24 hours are absolutely critical".
"Whilst we are all hoping for the very best, we must be prepared for the worst," she said.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) issued a swathe of flood and severe weather warnings for the NSW coast, including Sydney, where heavy rain began falling in the afternoon.
The State Emergency Service (SES) ordered people in parts of North Richmond, in Sydney's north-west, to evacuate as the situation deteriorated.
By midnight, heavy rain had been falling steadily over the metropolitan area for several hours.
The BOM's Dean Narramore said "hit and miss" thunderstorms were forecast for the state on Thursday.
"While it won't be widespread and everywhere, isolated immunities and those currently recovering from the flooding could have impact there as well," he said.
Mr Narramore said "life-threatening" flash-flooding was likely across NSW.
"That does include the communities of Newcastle, Sydney metropolitan area, Wollongong, inland towards the Blue Mountains and also the communities as we move down into the south coast of New South Wales," he said.
Floodwaters once again inundated large swathes of Ballina in the state's north, damaging homes and leaving residents stranded.
Hospital patients have had to take shelter in an evacuation centre.
NSW State Emergency Service (SES) acting assistant commissioner Greg Swindells said the extent of the flooding forced the evacuation order to be extended to Ballina Island this morning.
"Directing people to … evacuate as soon as they can due to the unprecedented flooding," he said.
Mr Swindells said the flooding in northern NSW this week was "unprecedented and breaking all sorts of records of floods".
NSW SES Commissioner Carlene York said they are working with police to see if there is anyone trapped in houses or requiring help in Lismore.
NSW Deputy Premier Paul Toole appealed to people living in areas near Sydney's rivers to monitor flood evacuation warnings.
"If you get a knock on the door, if you are asked to leave, please leave, please do this for your own safety," he said.
"We don't want to see those images of where people were standing on the roofs of their houses, not leaving and then having to be rescued.
"You are putting our emergency services at risk as well."
Editor's note March 3, 2022: An earlier version of this story included a picture incorrectly captioned as being Lorraine Hyman.
