Flood-weary residents have been told to prepare for the worst and hope for the best as Tropical Cyclone Alfred approaches, with 20,000 people at risk of flooding in the worst case scenario.
The category two cyclone is expected to lash northern NSW with heavy rain and wind forecast to peak late on Friday and early Saturday.
The State Emergency Service has issued 24 prepare to evacuate orders in the Northern Rivers, including towns such as Ballina, previously devastated by record-breaking floods three years ago.
Acting Chief Superintendent Stuart Fisher said the weather events could be worse than the 2022 floods that smashed the region.
"I cannot stress enough this is a significant weather event, not like 2022, where we had a single event," he said on Thursday.
Rainfall of 700mm is expected to hit the region with authorities stressing to "pray for the best but prepare for the worst".
More than 2000 emergency volunteers armed with drones, high clearance vehicles and water pumps have been deployed but Premier Chris Minns stressed they cannot be everywhere and urged everyone to use common sense.
"(Cyclone) Alfred is behaving like a completely unwanted house guest," the premier told reporters in Lismore.
"Unfortunately that means the window for destruction in our community, heavy rains, winds, powerful surf is longer than we would have otherwise liked.
"Prepare for the worst and hope for the best."
Fourteen evacuation centres have been established in areas such as Lismore, Mullumbimby and Murwillumbah.
SES Commissioner Mike Wassing said some 20,000 people across 10,000 homes could be affected as "worst case scenario numbers".
Federal and state disaster relief funds have also been rolled out to communities in 15 local government areas in Northern NSW to help cover immediate needs such as emergency accommodation.
Lismore Mayor Steve Krieg, who was an integral figure in the recovery and reconstruction of the city after the catastrophic floods, emphasised vigilance.
"We are at the very start of this weather event. It will be quite treacherous over the coming two or three days, so please stay safe and listen to the warnings," he said, as authorities warned of complacency.
Lismore-based Indigenous newspaper Koori Mail was critical in becoming an emergency community hub to Northern Rivers residents regardless of background during the 2022 floods.
The paper's former general manager Naomi Moran said there were concerns for Bundjalung communities on their traditional homelands such as Cabbage Tree Island where residents have been living in temporary accommodation pods that are not cyclone ready.
"It's a very exhausting time at the moment," she told ABC news.
"It's really hard to even comprehend what this means for our communities, having to prepare, having to roll out their flood plans, having to vacate their businesses and their homes and heed all the warnings.
"We can only imagine what that means for their emotional and mental wellbeing during this time."
She has concerns for Aboriginal residents in Wardell and Ballina where winds are picking up speed.
Cape Byron, the easternmost point of mainland Australia, will be in the eye of the storm with dangerous storm tides and destructive winds of up to 155 km/h predicted.
Abnormally high tides and damaging surf conditions along the northern coast have also been recorded with warnings issued to avoid beaches.
Major flooding at Thora and Bellingen is possible in the coming days and on the Wilsons River near Lismore, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
