A flash flood has hit Cooma, with buildings in the centre having to be evacuated.
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Emergency services said teams "are assisting the Cooma community with the flash flooding that suddenly hit during a localised storm this morning, which has resulted in isolated houses and main road closures".
NSW MP Nichole Overall tweeted a picture of business in the town with a half metre of water inside.
Local people said they hadn't seen the river so high since the mid 70s.
The Bureau of Meteorology said the Cooma Back Creek at the SMEC site peaked at 2.17 metres just before 9am on Tuesday.
The Cooma Creek at Koolaroo peaked at 4.01 metres at about the same time, it said.
But it added in the early afternoon that flood waters were easing.
"Heavy rainfall in the Cooma area caused rapid creek rises and major flooding at Cooma, with major peaks at Cooma and Koolaroo during Tuesday morning. Rainfall and creek levels have eased, and no further flooding is expected," the NSW SES said at noon.
The SES was calling for help to fill sandbags.
"We need volunteers to assist filling sand bags," it said.
It said the the bags "are available to be collected from Cooma Council depot Polo Flat Road".
Businesses shut up shop for the day. The Toyota dealer cancelled appointments.
The Snowy Monaro council said it was working closely with local emergency teams including NSW Police and RFS to close and assess roads and infrastructure across the region.
It advised: "Drive with caution, drive to the conditions, and never drive through floodwater."
The weather in the region for Wednesday was forecast to be cloudy, with a high chance of rain in the afternoon and early evening. Rain is expected to ease as the week goes on but to rain next week.
Across the NSW, the emergency services issued 122 flood warnings, including 20 evacuation orders.
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Steve Evans
Steve Evans is a reporter on The Canberra Times. He's been a BBC correspondent in New York, London, Berlin and Seoul and the sole reporter/photographer/paper deliverer on The Glen Innes Examiner in country New South Wales. "All the jobs have been fascinating - and so it continues."
Steve Evans is a reporter on The Canberra Times. He's been a BBC correspondent in New York, London, Berlin and Seoul and the sole reporter/photographer/paper deliverer on The Glen Innes Examiner in country New South Wales. "All the jobs have been fascinating - and so it continues."
