Hundreds of people had to be evacuated from their homes after the South Coast was drenched by more than 400 millimetres of rain in just two days.
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The torrential rain that had flooded parts of Wollongong and the northern Illawarra on Monday night moved south, leaving its destructive mark on the Shoalhaven overnight Tuesday and into Wednesday.
Tomerong recorded 439 millimetres in the 48 hours to 9am Wednesday, while Nowra copped 390 millimetres in the same period – its wettest 48 hours in more than 100 years of records.
The Shoalhaven River had to be opened to the ocean at Shoalhaven Heads during low tide on Wednesday to help drop the water level in the swollen watercourse.
But not before yards and roads became swimming pools – unwanted water views that left many counting the cost and contemplating the clean-up effort to come.
About 40 properties in the area were doorknocked by the SES on Wednesday morning.
On Tuesday night, the State Emergency Service issued a flood evacuation order for Sussex Inlet and parts of St Georges Basin.
A major to moderate flood warning remained current for St Georges Basin late on Wednesday, while moderate flooding continued at Sussex Inlet. A flood peak was expected late in the afternoon, coinciding with the high tide.
According to the SES, about 320 properties in the area were evacuated.
The University of Wollongong’s Shoalhaven campus was closed on Wednesday, while about 60 students were taken by bus from the Berry Sport and Recreation Centre as floodwater cut its main entry from Coolangatta Road.
A spokesman for the NSW Office of Sport and Recreation dismissed earlier reports the group was being evacuated, saying they were already scheduled to leave.
The spokesman said the manager had spoken with the SES to ensure the students, understood to be from the Far South Coast, were safe to leave via another entrance at the rear of the property.
On the roads, there were major diversions for motorists trying to get to the coast from the Southern Highlands when the Illawarra Highway at Macquarie Pass and Jamberoo Mountain Road were closed mid-morning due to flooding. Both reopened by 2pm.
Meanwhile, the SES issued an all-clear for Jerrara Dam at 10am on Wednesday, allowing residents living in lower areas around Mt Brandon Road, Jerrara Road and Jamberoo Road to return to their homes. In Wollongong, patches of blue sky – and even some sunshine – made brief appearances during the afternoon.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s severe weather warning for the Illawarra and South Coast was cancelled just before 3pm, as the low pressure system responsible for the deluge began its journey out to sea.
The Illawarra can expect a cloudy Thursday with a high chance of showers in the south and medium chance elsewhere. Rainfall totals are expected to be minimal.