AAP
A massive clean-up and resupply effort is under way along the NSW eastern coast as flood conditions ease after wild weather wreaked havoc over the weekend.
The State Emergency Service (SES) says more than 20,000 people remain isolated by floodwaters but the focus has shifted to recovery efforts.
Crews from the SES, NSW Rural Fire Service and Fire and Rescue NSW are concentrating on Kiama in southern NSW and the Sydney suburbs of Malabar and Chifley, which were worst-affected by storm damage.
About 70 residents will be evacuated from Kiama on Monday because of fears that strewn debris caused by heavy winds is contaminated by asbestos.
More than 170 homes suffered damage, including three that were completely destroyed, when a mini-cyclone ripped through the seaside town on Sunday morning.
Kiama mayor Brian Petschler told AAP that about 70 people lived in the asbestos exclusion zone created by debris from the leisure centre and a house that "blew up" on the edge of town.
The SES said the clean-up effort would begin once the evacuations were over.
In the state's north, more than 20,000 people remain isolated by floodwaters but conditions are easing as swollen rivers disgorge their extra loads into the sea.
An evacuation order has been lifted for the Kempsey CBD, with the exception of some properties.
Councils in the area are urging the state government to announce disaster declarations for the region, where eight rivers are still considered flooded.
Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner toured the area on Monday and said a thorough assessment would need to be conducted before funds are released.
"I'll be reporting to the premier and the minister for police and emergency (services) about what I've seen," Mr Stoner told reporters at the scene.
"So hopefully we speed those disaster declarations along."
On Monday afternoon, the Bureau of Meteorology cancelled a severe weather warning for the mid-north coast after a low pressure trough weakened.
Meantime, a newborn baby was flown to a Gold Coast hospital early on Monday morning after his mother gave birth among rapidly-rising floodwaters before emergency crews could reach her property at Palmvale, in northern NSW.
Further south, the clean-up effort continues in Sydney's east, particularly in Malabar and Chifley.
Savage gusts extensively damaged around 250 properties, brought down several trees and tore the roof off the Malabar RSL Club, which contained asbestos material.
Randwick Council said staff and contractors were speaking with affected property owners in the area and offering to inspect and remove asbestos material.
Council workers are also working to remove debris and trees brought down by the storm.
In western Sydney, Warragamba Dam continues to spill over, adding to flooding from the Nepean and Grose Rivers.
A Sydney Catchment Authority spokeswoman said the dam is expected to continue overflowing for the next few days but it is a "reasonably small" spill.
Minor flooding is expected along the Nepean Hawkesbury River at Penrith and North Richmond later on Monday as Nepean flood waters combine with the Warragamba Dam spill, the BoM said.
Late on Monday, 11 areas were declared natural disaster zones, meaning financial assistance will be unlocked for home owners, businesses and farmers.
The areas are Ballina, Bellingen, Byron, Camden, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Kempsey, Kiama, Nambucca, Port Macquarie Hastings and Randwick.
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