Emergency service personnel from throughout the Mid North Coast have been working tirelessly to support the flood-ravaged communities of the Northern Rivers as they begin the long road to recovery.
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The town of Coraki, south of Lismore, has been without power and isolated by floodwaters for a number of days.
Wauchope Fire and Rescue Station, station commander, Brodie Frazier, alongside firefighters from Forster and Sawtell were instrumental in gaining road access to Coraki last Saturday, March 5.
"We were tasked by the Incident Control Centre to gain access to the town via Casino. We waded through one to two feet of water to allow vehicle access," Mr Frazier said.
"We had to go through the back roads into the town because the main roads were still underwater."
Mr Frazier, along with other Fire and Rescue crew members, were also tasked with traversing 15 kilometres by boat to the isolated town of riverside town of Woodburn.
"We were working with the SES and Swift Water Rescue and were tasked with door-knocking houses and making sure everyone was alright," he said.
"Around 10 firefighters from the region also lost their own homes in the flood. So they were displaced while supporting the community."
We also used infrared drone footage to detect if there were any people inside buildings that were still isolated by floodwater.
- Brodie Frazier, station commander at the Wauchope Fire and Rescue Station
Four vehicles from the Mid North Coast Fire and Rescue team were sent to the Northern Rivers, with around 17 personnel also making the journey.
"We also used infrared drone footage to detect if there were any people inside buildings that were still isolated by floodwater," Mr Frazier said.
"We're still working to assist Fire and Rescue crews on the ground."
Mr Frazier said it was heartbreaking to see the amount of devastation, but humbling to see how the whole community has banded together.
Local emergency service crews from Marine Rescue, the SES and the RFS have also made the trip north.
Marine Rescue crews from Port Macquarie and Trial Bay, alongside volunteers from Point Danger, Cape Byron, Evans Head, Iluka, Yamba, Nambucca Heads, Brunswick Heads, Ballina and Wooli have all worked to provide vital assistance.
Tasks they have undertaken include the delivery of fuel to Murwillumbah, the transport of domestic animals and medical and food supplies to the Alstonville evacuation centre, as well as transporting people from flooded properties for medical appointments and other essential tasks.
Crews from Port Macquarie assisted in Maclean by undertaking a food and medical drop to an isolated area.
"It was a busy day for our Marine Rescue Port Macquarie volunteers aboard borrowed rescue vessel Camden Haven 20, as they delivered food and other essential items to isolated residents on the Clarence River," a Marine Rescue spokesperson said.
The Port Macquarie SES unit volunteers have also been assisting in the flood zone. Crews helped NSW Police officers cross floodwater over the weekend and are also working in support of local SES crews from the area.
Just over 500 RFS volunteers, Fire & Rescue NSW crews and 317 Australian Defence Force personnel have been deployed to help the clean-up effort.
Yesterday, Sunday, March 7 a team from Pacific Palms RFS travelled to Coraki to assist with the clean-up.
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