A 72-year-old has become the latest victim of NSW’s flood disaster

An elderly man has died after he went missing in floodwaters in northern NSW, bringing the state’s death toll from the flood disaster to 10.

Flood damage in Murwillumbah in northern NSW earlier this month. Picture: Getty Images

An elderly man has died after he went missing in floodwaters in northern NSW, as the state braces for more wild weather and flash flooding amid a fresh deluge.

The body of a man was recovered on a property in Coaldale, about 35km north of Grafton, at about 9.15pm on Thursday, bringing the state’s death toll from the continuing flood disaster to 10.

The discovery was made a short distance from where a 72-year-old man was reported missing less than an hour before.

The man was believed to have attempted to cross a flooded road on foot.

While the body had yet to be formally identified, it was believed to be that of the missing man.

“Officers attached to Coffs/Clarence police district were contacted about 8.30pm yesterday (Thursday) after reports a 72-year-old man went missing after attempting to cross a flooded roadway on foot near Coaldale Road, Coaldale, about 35km north of Grafton,” a NSW Police spokesman said.

“A search involving local police located the body of a man about 9.15pm a short distance away in a gully.”

The tragedy comes as floodwaters began to rise again in northern NSW, with flood watches issued for the Northern Rivers, mid-north coast, Hunter and northwestern NSW on Friday.

Minor to major flood warnings have also been issued for the Narran, Birrie, Bokhara and Culgoa rivers at Brenda, Goodooga and Angeldool in inland NSW. Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Gabri­elle Woodhouse said two troughs, one in the state’s north and another inland, were generating the latest round of rain, which would bring new falls into already saturated waterways into next week.

The NSW State Emergency Service carried out two flood rescues in Sydney’s outskirts on Friday afternoon, and has called on residents to avoid driving or walking through floodwaters.

“This style of weather will continue for the next couple of days,” an SES spokesman said. “Flash flooding is a real risk for the majority of NSW as the result of this weather and we want people to make smart, safe decisions, and stop, turn around and find another way if they encounter floodwaters as it is not worth the risk.”