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Shops running out of food in flood-affected areas as flooding blocks Pacific Highway

Fruit, vegetables and other essentials are running low in supermarkets in flood-affected parts of NSW. (ABC Gold Coast: Cathy Border)

Supermarkets in northern New South Wales are quickly running out of supplies as residents scramble to stock up.

David Hausfeld, who lives at Nunderi, managed to get to an open supermarket at nearby Pottsville.

"This is the only place we can get to to get food, so we made our way to here," he said.

"It's very crowded — there's a lot of active people in there.

"The shops are full." 

Mr Hausfeld said many were tolerating the 20-minute wait to get groceries at Pottsville.

"As we are all desperate," he said.

This Kingscliff supermarket is fast running out of supplies. (ABC Gold Coast: Cathy Border)

Highway flood strands truckies

With parts of the Pacific Highway inundated, truck drivers are stranded near Grafton, blocked from delivering essential supplies.

Sukhwinder Singh is among those queued on the roadside at Glenugie, south of Grafton.

"All the rest areas are full and all the trucks are on the side of the road," he said.

"We don't know how long [it will take] to clear the road."

Sukwinder Singh isn't expecting to get his load to Brisbane anytime soon. (ABC Coffs Coast: Claudia Jambor)

Mr Singh, who is from Sydney, was en route to Brisbane to deliver groceries for Coles.

Thankfully his truck is full of non-perishables that will not spoil.

"It's all dry stuff," he said.

Herbs are the only thing left in this part of the fruit and veg section at the Casino Coles. (ABC North Coast: Miranda Saunders)

Search for different routes

In a statement, a Coles Group spokeswoman said the supermarket giant was working hard with its transport and supply partners to reroute deliveries to flood-affected parts of NSW.

Coles said it had been in contact with carriers to ensure the safety of its truck drivers.

"We did have a B-Double carrying bottled water stuck in the queue," the spokeswoman said.

"Coles made this stock available to police to distribute to stranded motorists on the side of the highway."

Residents have little choice but to endure long waits at supermarkets. (ABC Gold Coast: Cathy Border)

Other truckies stuck on the Pacific Highway, like Darren Markwell, are bracing for a longer wait.

"I've got food, water, so I should be right," he said.

The ABC has contacted the Transport Workers Union for comment. 

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