Following a week of heavy rainfall and rising rivers, many properties across the Hunter continue to be inundated with floodwater.
A number of residents in Hinton, Woodville and Osterley remain isolated today, however floodwaters have started to ease in Raymond Terrace, Maitland and Bulga.
Port Stephens Mayor Ryan Palmer, said although it looks like the worst of the rain is over, the community is still not out of the woods.
"We're starting to move into the recovery phase. While the flooding still remains at a minor level, it is staring to fall which is good to see," Mayor Palmer said.
"We're estimating here in Port Stephens that the damage bill will run into the millions of dollars which is devastating after the events of earlier this year and last year as well."
Mayor Palmer also noted the hard work being done by crews over the past week, repairing potholes on high speed roads, monitoring river levels and closing roads.
"We're working with communities to see what damage is out there at the moment, but a lot of the damage won't be known until the flood waters recede," he said.
The Mayor said the top priority for now is ensuring the safety of isolated communities, and is encouraging impacted Port Stephens residents to seek financial assistance.
"Last week on Friday we had the Disaster Declaration for Port Stephens, so it is important if you are affected and you are in need of financial assistance, that you get in touch with Services Australia to see if you are eligible for disaster payments. That declaration does mean that individuals and businesses may be eligible for financial assistance."
"We'll continue to advocate to state and federal governments for their support to help- it's our job to help ensure we get the best possible outcomes for the Port Stephens community," Mayor Palmer said.
