There were more than 800 requests for assistance received by the SES in the region where several hundred volunteers were supported by other emergency service personnel.

Illawarra/South Coast incident controller Ashley Sullivan said 24 flood rescues were completed on Sunday morning alone. “Most of these flood rescues have related to people who have driven into flood waters unnecessarily,” he said.

Crews were also called to trees falling on houses and cars and roofs being torn from homes north and south of Wollongong including one in Wollongong St, Shellharbour.

Ms Sullivan said a record tide coinciding with such heavy rain exacerbated the problem. 

“There is a real risk that the high tide at 8pm will see an increase in the response to the flooding because of the amount of water we are going to see back up”. He said it was extremely important people still listened to the “if it is flooded forget it” message on the roads.

The bureau said heavy rain was still likely into the evening with easterly winds up to 70 km/h easing and shifting south to southwesterly. Large and powerful surf conditions remain hazardous for coastal activities on Monday. Rainfall of between 100mm to 300mm fell in parts of the region with larger falls closer to the coast. 

Around 60,000 homes and businesses in the Shoalhaven lost power on Sunday afternoon and more than 10,000 were affected in the Illawarra on Sunday.