Weary crews have started shifting their focus from rescues to dropping in desperately needed supplies as tens of thousands of people remain cut off after deadly floods.
An estimated 50,000 people in more than a dozen towns across the NSW Hunter and mid-north coast regions are isolated and many emergency warnings are still in place despite most river levels falling.
Five flood-related deaths have been confirmed since the latest bout of flooding hit the state.
There are 148 flood warnings and 31 evacuation orders active, most of which relate to the significant populations cut off.
Authorities are focusing on sending bulk supplies to local supermarkets by water and air and delivering individual medical and food supplies to cut-off communities, NSW State Emergency Service commissioner Mike Wassing said.
Efforts are also under way to clean up and help the hardest-hit communities, including in Taree, Kempsey, Dungog, Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour, with the help of crews from Victoria, the ACT and Queensland.
Up to 10,000 properties had been damaged in the floods, Mr Wassing said on Saturday.
"We have started that work and this will scale up in coming days and certainly into next week as we move into the longer-term recovery," he said.
"Many of these communities have experienced this before, but in some cases, maybe not to this extent."
Crews were prioritising damage assessments in areas where floodwaters were beginning to subside, SES chief superintendent Paul McQueen said.
"We will have an increased number of volunteers out in force today to start the damage assessment process," he said.
Assessors will evaluate roads and bridges to ensure their safety before any evacuation orders are revoked, with residents urged not to ignore closed roads even if no water is around.
While there are still flood risks, the state will face more settled conditions across the weekend after severe weather warnings were cancelled late on Friday evening.
"At this stage, we're still expecting some of those flood levels to slowly recede through the course of the weekend and into early next week," Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Gabrielle Woodhouse said.
A moderate flood warning for Tuggerah Lake, on the Central Coast, has forced a community evacuation, with numerous minor flood warnings in place on Saturday morning.
The Pacific Highway was closed between Coopernook and Purfleet, near Taree, due to flooding, and a section of the highway was closed at Charmhaven on the Central Coast.
Farmers are also beginning to take stock of their losses after cattle were washed down rivers and properties suffered significant damage.
NSW Premier Chris Minns will visit flood-impacted areas on Saturday.
More than 1600 insurance claims had already been made, the Insurance Council of Australia said.
Assistance grants of $180 per person or $900 for families are expected to roll out in the coming days and those unable to work will have access to a disaster recovery allowance from Monday.
The flood-related death toll stands at five, while the SES has conducted 768 rescues since the event began.
A man believed to be in his 80s was found inside a burnt-out vehicle in the shed of a Cooplacurripa property, northwest of Taree, on Friday, while a man in his 70s was found after his vehicle was swept off a causeway near Coffs Harbour.
Another man died at a flooded home near Taree, as did a driver west of Port Macquarie and a 60-year-old woman near Coffs Harbour.
A 49-year-old man, who was reported missing on Wednesday after being spotted walking around flooded areas, has been located safe and well, NSW Police said.