After a tense night, residents of the low-lying caravan parks surrounding Lake Illawarra were relieved to wake to a sunny morning and watch the water lapping at their driveways.
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At high tide, just past 10am on Monday, the water had risen high enough to breach the wall between the lake and Oaklands Lifestyle Village, prompting residents to move their cars to higher ground on the road outside the park.
They, along with people living at Jetty's By The Lake, South Pacific Park and Oasis Resort and Caravan Park were given notice to evacuate by the SES about 8.30am.
However, this wasn't enough to worry most residents, many who have been through floods in the past and watched the water inundate their homes.
Jean Maclean has lived at Oaklands since the mid-1990s, she was away during the 1998 floods, but remembers several times in the last two decades when floodwaters rose up the steps of her waterfront home.
"It's not as bad as it was about four years ago, when it came up to our second step," she said. "We were up most of the night worried that we might have to get out, but it looks like it will be ok."
On Monday morning one of the park's fire wardens, Tony Smyth, was going door-to-door to alert residents they should move to the park's evacuation point, but said he thought this "might be overkill".
"We've already asked everyone to move their cars out onto the road," he said.
Maxine Tyrell, who has lived at Oaklands less than a year, said she would be heeding the advice to relocate to the community hall "just in case".
"We've got friends who have been here for years who say not to worry, but it does make you wonder as you watch the speed of the water coming in," she said.
Neighbours Ken Carswell and Robert Miller, who both moved to the park recently, spent the morning catching up on a bench right next to the encroaching waters edge.
"We're not too worried, we'll just see what happens - no matter what I guess we can't stop it" Mr Carswell said.
By 1pm, the SES reported the residents had been given the all clear.
"The water level in Lake Illawarra is dropping, the king tide is receding, creek levels feeding into the lake have dropped and no significant rainfall is predicted so the risk of flooding has eased," the SES said.
Kate McIlwain
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
