Soldiers told the Daily Telegraph units would do “reconnaissance” on bridges and crucial entry points as residents prepared for the worst.

Flood waters are supposed to peak this afternoon and have already eclipsed levels of the 1990 flood.

The situation has been worsened as 35,000 mega liters of water a day is flowing through Wyangala Dam which is at 102 per cent capacity.

The water will travel down the river network and end up in Forbes.

An evacuation order has been issued but some residents have chosen to stay and sandbag their properties while nervously watching the water rise.

Scores of properties have been evacuated, with the waterway predicted to exceed a previous high of 10.6m and potentially split the town in two.

“Forbes is the main area of concern, with another 5-15mm of rain predicted for Sunday,” State Emergency Service deputy commissioner Mark Morrow said.

“If the Lachlan River ­exceeds 10.6m it exceeds the 1990 flood and it is highly likely it could become a flood of record for the Forbes.”

Some parts of the town have already been hit harder than the 2012 floods and ­residents fear the water could reach levels that could drown the entire town.

Clasping a rake in one hand and a stubbie in the other, Nigel McKeon, 41, said the water rose rapidly outside his home in just 30 minutes.

“It came out of nowhere and rushed through the driveway to the front of the house.

“Council makes us build pretty high so we might be all right, but if we go completely under I guess we’ll have some cleaning to do.

“It is pretty bad timing ­because we were going to host a birthday party for my wife ­tonight.”

In the past four weeks the SES has conducted 100 flood rescues and responded to more than 2000 requests for assistance.

More than 100 properties at Ungarie have been evacuated, with 170 people impacted by that evacuation. It is the third evacuation for the tiny town in three months.

Residents of Wagga Beach Caravan Park, which is in an isolated section on the ­Murrumbidgee River, have been ­ordered to leave.

There is a warning in place for North Forbes Rd on ­Condobolin, which affects about 20 properties.

Water surrounds his ­Condobolin property and his business is bleeding $15,000 per day, but Bernard Weber believes he is one of the lucky ones. The 42-year-old earthmover has lived through at least three major floods in the Lachlan Shire and said this one is shaping up as the worst.

“Everyone is pretty good at dealing with it because we have been through the 1990 flood,” the father of three said.

“Over the next few days there will be a lot of very ­concerned people because there will most likely be houses damaged. I’m lucky that my home is 15m above the river,” he said.

The general manager of a local council and a policeman were caught driving through flood waters in separate ­incidents.

The SES volunteers again warned people against driving through flood waters.

The pain is unlikely to stop for historic Forbes built in 1861, population 7500, with rain predicted today and later in the week.