Residents in many southern Shoalhaven villages are recovering after the worst deluge in decades.
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Ron Tomlin, from St Georges Basin, said he had not seen such a downpour since 1976, while just around the corner, Dick Manwarring and his wife Joan were stunned by the amount of rain that hit the Old Erowal Bay area.
“We have lived in the area for 32 years and this is the worst we have seen it,” he said.
The Manwarrings, even though water levels did rise, were not forced to evacuate.
They did receive a general phone warning suggesting they be prepared to evacuate.
Two evacuation centres, at the Sussex Inlet Bowling Club and the St Georges Basin Country Club, were set up to assist possible flood victims.
It was a wait-and-see approach at Sussex Inlet on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Around 24 people went to the centre over the 24 hours and manager of the bowling club, Vicki Black, said some had gone home, while others had chosen to stay.
She said other people who had been evacuated may have chosen to stay with friends.
At 3.20pm on Wednesday Ms Black said they were not relaxing.
“It has stopped raining and we are now at the mercy of the tides,” she said.
At the St Georges Basin Country Club, the situation was quiet and only two people had come in seeking shelter.
The country club’s evacuation centre, just in case of more flooding on Wednesday afternoon or during the night, was also in wait-and-see mode.
A high tide was expected to affect the area around 5pm and was likely to further increase existing water levels.
According to the SES, late on Wednesday about 320 properties in the area remained evacuated.
Meanwhile, Sanctuary Point resident Narrell Brown had a quick drive around the area to see how things were faring on Wednesday.
She said emergency services were monitoring the low-lying areas, including Paradise Beach reserve.
Her home was safe because it was on high ground, but she said the bottom end of The Park Drive, down by Cockcrow Creek, seemed to bear the brunt of things each time it flooded.
She said the flooding looked a lot more severe than previous occasions.
Ms Brown has many friends in the region and had not heard of many people going to the evacuation centre at the St Georges Basin Country Club.
Rain gauges showed during the deluge the Vincentia area received 148millimetres, Island Road, St Georges Basin 185millimetres and Tomerong Creek 212millimetres.
