Epic footage captured by volunteers helping sandbag in the NSW Riverina region has revealed the country resembling an inland sea.
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The video was captured by the team delivering sandbags to the village of Maude, nestled on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River, where residents have been told to bunker down from a fast-rising flood.
The footage shows the country resembling an inland sea as water spreads from the river across the flats.
The Murrumbidgee River at Hay is predicted to reach 9.2m on Wednesday, with major flooding.
Bureau of Meteorology manager of hazard and preparedness Steve Bernasconi said the town was currently the main point of concern along the Murrumbidgee River.
"We have major flooding that's higher than the September 1974 flood occurring at Hay," Mr Bernasconi said in a statewide flood update alongside the premier and emergency services minister on Tuesday morning.
"The river at Hay is... rising with major flooding and it may stay that way right through until Wednesday.".
Road access to Hay has already been limited by the rising river, with the Sturt Highway closed 30km west of Darlington Point.
The Sturt Highway has also closed to light vehicles west of Hay, with stop-slow traffic control in place.
To the north, the Cobb Highway is open but only as far as Booligal, around 70km from Hay. The rest of the highway is closed for the next 490km to Wilcannia, further isolating the rural and village communities of Mossgiel and Ivanhoe.
Those areas have been able to connect to the Sturt Highway by travelling from Ivanhoe to Balranald.
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A raft of local roads have also closed and water is over the bitumen on parts of the Mid Western Highway, which forms part of a major detour to access Hay from the east.
As of Monday afternoon, Alma, Old Thelangerin, Boxyards, Nap Nap, Hay Weir, Ti-Tree, Sidonia, Lara, Romani, Jerilderie and Murrumbidgee River roads were closed in the shire.
A list of local road closures is maintained on the council's website.
For emergency help in floods and storms, call the SES on 132 500. In life-threatening situations, call Triple Zero (000) immediately.