Yugoura resident Diane Smith was murdered. The peak of the Lachlan River. Corowa, Forbes, Moama, Gunnedah SES evacuation orders issued

Hundreds of homes have already been flooded by the Lachlan River in Forbes and have yet to peak, according to the NSW Emergency Service.

SES Chief Inspector Ashley Sullivan said 300 to 500 homes have been affected so far.

“We had just completed a rapid damage assessment and cleaning of those facilities,” Sullivan said.

Parks Deputy Mayor Neil Westcott, meanwhile, said he woke up Monday morning to a “spectacle of devastation probably never seen before.”

He said some families faced months of repairs after floodwaters entered their homes Monday morning.

“It’s something they’ll never forget, and I’m sure they’ve rewritten the rulebook in terms of how water can spring in that community.”

Westcott said local roads had been destroyed. The main bridge leading to Parkes was “very badly damaged” and took him six months to repair.

“Localized flooding in the Midwest has caused infrastructure to collapse,” he said.

“Simply put, local governments do not have the resources, especially financially, to deal with the current situation. I think you can write it on the back of the envelope.”