Authorities are warning residents across New South Wales, already grappling with severe flooding, to brace for gale-force winds as a cold front moves eastward from South Australia and Victoria. According to Joe Buffone, deputy coordinator-general of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the main concern is the likelihood of trees falling due to saturated ground combined with high winds. The Eden Coast was placed under a gale warning on Monday, with conditions expected to extend to the Batemans, Illawarra, Sydney, Hunter, and Macquarie coasts on Tuesday. Offshore wind speeds could reach up to 75 km/h.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, speaking alongside Buffone at the National Situation Room in Canberra, urged caution for residents in flood-affected areas. He emphasised that waterlogged ground and unstable trees pose a serious danger when combined with strong wind gusts. “The ground is really, really wet,” Albanese said. “You combine that with heavy winds, you combine that with trees and other structures … more vulnerable than usual [and] they just come over.” He described the situation as “potentially very dangerous.”
Gale-force Winds Complicate Recovery Efforts as Clean-up Continues
The prime minister confirmed that 70 Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel will be deployed to the Mid North Coast from Tuesday to support recovery and clean-up operations. Albanese highlighted the emotional and psychological impact of disasters, stating that the presence of ADF personnel offers not only physical assistance but also a morale boost for affected communities. “It brings enormous confidence to communities that are really doing it tough,” he said.
As the recovery ramps up, the NSW State Emergency Service (SES) continues to operate in force, with 2,200 volunteers active across the state. More than 12,000 residents remain isolated, and supply missions are ongoing. Essential items, including food and medical supplies, were delivered by helicopter to communities such as Crescent Head and locations across the Hunter region. Meanwhile, state personnel have conducted over 5,000 damage assessments to date.
6:30PM MONDAY
— MELWeather (@Melbweather2022) May 26, 2025
A band of rain is pushing into central districts this evening associated with the cold front, while showers and isolated thunderstorms are now starting to cross the southwest coast associated with the low pressure system. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/VQeZV8MgyD
Recovery Centers Open Across Mid North Coast
Dedicated recovery centres are opening across affected areas to provide direct assistance to residents. The Taree Recovery Centre, located at Manning Uniting Church, will begin operations on Tuesday at 10am. Additional centres will open on Wednesday in Kempsey, Port Macquarie, Macksville, and Maitland. The centres will help people access support services, including assistance with replacing personal documents such as birth certificates, Medicare cards, and citizenship papers.
NSW Minister for Recovery Janelle Saffin told ABC Radio Sydney that although emergency response remains ongoing, preparations for the recovery phase are well underway. “The Reconstruction Authority is setting recovery up as we go,” she said, noting that a formal transition from emergency response to long-term recovery efforts will take place later in the week. Coordination between SES and recovery teams is designed to streamline support for those impacted.
Community-led Response Strengthens Local Recovery
More than 600 volunteers have joined the MidCoast Community Flood Response Group, providing practical help by washing out homes and assisting residents. Holly Rankin, a local volunteer coordinator, said their efforts are meant to complement—not replace—official emergency services. “We’re working in behind the official efforts, but we are doing everything we can to mobilise our community in an organised way that is safe,” she explained.
Elsewhere, an estimated 1,200 homes and businesses across the Mid North Coast remain without electricity. The situation has been compounded by road closures and power failures, which have complicated resupply efforts. According to SES Kempsey unit commander Greg Steele, the local central business district has no functioning suppliers. “Normally, the resupply wouldn’t be quite so difficult,” he said, “however we’ve had a power failure in the CBD. There’s no local suppliers currently to draw food stocks from.”
