With heavy rain and an east coast low forecast to continue into the start of the week, emergency services agencies have issued warnings that Illawarra residents should be on alert for rising flood waters, high seas and other wild weather.
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On Saturday morning, the SES, police and paramedics were kept busy with multiple reports of flooding especially in the region's southern suburbs.
In Gerringong early, the NSW SES responded to urgent calls for help for residents impacted by flash flooding from a nearby creek.
Homes in Craig Place and Henry Lee Drive, near the Werri Gully, were worst impacted, with residents forced to moe their belongings to high ground.
One of the affected residents was John Sultana, who was at work when the flooding started about 7am.
"I got a phone call from my daughter telling me to get home because we were getting flooded," he said.
"She got up and saw water in the dining room and then called me, and tried to get as much stuff as she could. The water got in right through the house and the carpet is all lifting up - we've got floating carpet.
"We're looking at a big clean up, there's dirt, mud, leaves and twigs everywhere."
At about 9.30am, police closed parts of Springhill Road due to flooding over the road, and Swan Street, Corrimal Street and the intersection of Keira Street were also affected.
Elsewhere, there were also reports of floodwaters affecting Windang, Albion Park and Warrawong earlier this morning.
Over the 24 hours to 9am on Saturday an SES spokesman said crews had responded to 136 calls for help in the south eastern zone.
There were six flood rescues due to flash flooding - three in Gerringong - and one each in Warrawong, Port Kembla and Springhill.
Most of these jobs were due to people attempting to drive through flood waters.
In Port Kembla, the two people who drove through floodwaters were attended to by paramedics just before 9am. They were uninjured, but cold after being caught in the water for some time.
Parts of the region received well over 100mm of rain in the 24 hours to 9am, with areas near Port Kembla, Albion Park, Gerringong and in the Shoalhaven receiving the heaviest falls.
The Foxground weather station, just west of Gerringong, recorded 159mm in the past 24 hours, which has caused a number of creeks and rivers in the area to swell, causing flooding.
Port Kembla has received 101mm in the past 24 hours.
SES media officer Dave Rankine reminded residents never to drive, ride or walk through floodwaters as they are deceptive and dangerous.
"We just want to remind the community that no matter how big their four-wheel-drive is, or how good they think they are at driving - please don't attempt to cross flood waters," he said.
"Some of our units have been spending a lot of time turning people away from flood crossings, when they could have been spending that time attending to jobs. It's not safe to be crossing flood waters - it puts you and our volunteers at risk."
Both Sunday and Monday have a very high per cent chance of rain (95 per cent and 90 per cent respectively), with conditions expected to ease on Tuesday. Showers are forecast to stick around for most of the week.
Rain aside, the Bureau of Meteorology has issued a Hazardous Surf Warning and Marine Wind Warning for the NSW coast from Eden to the Illawarra, which is current into Sunday and could continue into early next week.
That means rock fishing, boating, surfing and swimming are off the cards and people should consider staying out of the water and avoid walking near surf-exposed areas.
CEO Surf Life Saving NSW Steven Pearce said that conditions along southern parts of the NSW coast will become dangerous.
"A low pressure system is making its way southwest across NSW and is producing high winds, rain and damaging surf. It will create dangerous conditions for swimmers, surfers, rock fishers and boaters," he said.
"If people put themselves in danger in these conditions, our surf lifesavers may not be able to save them."
With sea swells of up to four metres forecast there is also a threat of more coastal erosion and flooding in low-lying areas, and a rising tide which will affect sea levels along the NSW coastline.