A NSW Fire and Rescue crew has described pulling of the ‘extraordinary’ rescue of two people and their dogs from a farm isolated by flood waters.

The man, in his 60s, and a woman, 32, had been stranded for three days at the property near Kempsey.

With local landmarks flooded, five in-water rescue technicians used a triangulation app to identify the farmstead. They then paddled two hours in a rescue boat to reach the pair.

The man, who was suffering mild hypothermia, “refused to leave his six working dogs behind”.

So, the crew ripped down a bamboo fence and crafted a makeshift raft for them, tying it to the inflatable with firefighting cords.

In pitch black conditions, a drone with an in-built spotlight was sent up, acting as a beacon to guide them on a two-kilometre paddle through bush to safety.

“Speaking over the radio, I told them, ‘The drone’s up, I’ve got you in my sights, just follow the light’,” Strike Team Charlie leader Inspector Gaven Muller said.

The pair was later transported to hospital.

Strong winds to add insult

Communities devastated by flooding face a cold front bringing strong winds as interstate crews relieve exhausted rescuers.

An estimated 10,000 properties are affected by flooding in the Hunter and mid-north coast regions of NSW, brought on by months’ worth of rain falling in just days last week.

About 32,000 residents across 14 towns remained isolated as of Sunday. Rescue crews have made more than 770 rescues amid the flood crisis that has claimed five lives.

They faced challenging conditions including the two-hour paddle near Kempsey.

To the south at Port Macquarie, Mayor Adam Roberts said there was “quiet and cautious optimism” as rain cleared and water receded, though it was hard to tell how many homes and businesses have been impacted.

“We will rebuild as quickly as possible and there is a sense of pride that we do come together in times of need as a community,” he said.

Flood-affected residents are being asked to be patient and await advice from the SES before inspecting their properties. Teams are making rapid assessments and coordinating clean-ups.

Additional support teams had arrived from interstate and New Zealand to relieve crews exhausted from working multiple days and nights, said SES commissioner Mike Wassing. But he warned “we are only now starting to see the true scale of the devastation” as water recedes.

A cold front and strong winds of 60-80km/h on Monday and Tuesday could hamper recovery efforts, cause damage and bring down trees, Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Jonathan How said.

Commonwealth and state government recovery assistance grants are expected to commence soon.

-with AAP