Kiama is in lockdown after an intense storm event ripped through the town in the early hours of this morning.
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Police are urging visitors to stay away from Kiama while a massive clean-up effort gets underway.
Power lines are down in some areas, while branches littering the roadways have created dangerous driving conditions.
SES Illawarra spokeswoman Alex McFadden urged Kiama residents to stay in their homes while emergency crews worked to clear debris.
She said police were preventing drivers and pedestrians from accessing the worst affected areas.
"That's just a public safety measure because of the number of trees that have fallen down," she said.
SES crews from across the Illawarra and South Coast have been called in to assist the Kiama volunteers.
Fire and Rescue NSW crews from Dapto, Wollongong and Kiama are also at the scene, inspecting homes to ensure they are safe.
About 20 streets have been severely affected by the massive storm.
At 3am the Bureau of Meteorology recorded wind gusts of 82kph at Kiama.
For help in floods and storms contact the SES on 132 500.
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