NSW Residents Evacuating: ''The town will be cut in two''

Hundreds of residents in rained-out Northern NSW are on standby for evacuation as they face the threat of the biggest floods in 35 years.

Barwon MP Kevin Humphries said as of 9am today evacuation warnings had been issued to 463 properties around Moree, 60 on the Wingham Peninsula, 40 in Taree and 19 in Barraba.

"Throughout the region we have seen close to 160 millimetres of rain fall during the past two days to 6am this morning, with a lot more on the way today," Mr Humphries said in a statement today.

"Unfortunately predictions are that this is going to be bigger than the floods that devastated the region in the 1970s."

The SES had been helping hundreds of residents prepare for evacuation.

The town of Moree is predicted to be split in half by floodwaters later today, NSW SES Deputy Commissioner of Operations Steven Pearce tells AAP.

"We think this is going to be bigger than the floods that occurred in the 1970s," he said.

"The town will be cut in two."

Source: NEWS.com