2:55pm: Valda Goodsell has lived at Moss Street, Terara for 43 years, and has seen many heavy rain events.
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"I was here in '78, and I'd say that was the worst one," she said.
"I woke up in the middle of the night, turned the front light on and I thought, 'I can't see anything, I don't know what's going on'.
"But it was because the water was level with my front lawn here.
"(This is) nowhere near that yet... But I've been hearing some conflicting stuff today."
Speaking to the Mercury on Monday afternoon, she said she "wasn't too concerned" about the situation currently, but was monitoring it.
12pm: SES crews from Sydney have headed south to Nowra to assist with rising floodwaters from the Shoalhaven River on Monday.
SES media officer Dave Rankine said an evacuation order went out on Sunday evening, for residents in Terara and parts of Nowra, however some have decided to stay.
He said floodwaters were expected to peak around 1pm on Monday and last from four to six hours, before starting to abate.
11:50am: The NSW State Emergency Service attended to more than 700 call outs and 40 flood rescues from Friday to Monday in its southern region.
Speaking as part of Premier Gladys Berejiklian's morning COVID-19 update, SES Commissioner Carlene York said it had been "an extremely busy" weekend for the service's volunteers who attended to 1600 calls across the state.
She said many areas across the South Coast remained on alert for further flooding throughout Monday.
"Most [callouts] have been in relation to trees ,storm damage, roofs leaking and property damage, but there have been regretfully 40 flood rescues we've had to perform for people caught in flood waters," she said.
She said the Shoalhaven River was one of the areas still deemed at risk as high tide approached at around midday Monday.
She also said there were 23 homes in Brighton Vale which were isolated, as both roads into the area had now been cut by flood waters.
"With the Shoalhaven River: there's a fast flowing river reaching a low minor [flood level], but there is a lot of refuse and tree material coming down, so it's quite dangerous," she said.
"I take this opportunity to remind community that it's important not to drive through flood areas," she said.
"You may think you're a good driver, but when you're looking at flood water, it's unknown how deep that is and it's quite dangerous.
"We have also done a number of animal rescues, sheep, livestock and horses, to get them to higher ground."
Commissioner York said wind was increasing along the NSW coast throughout Monday and warned people not to park underneath trees.
"It's a timely reminder to tie down loose items, don't park under trees, and just make sure your property is safe and you're not putting yourself at personal risk."
Earlier: The banks of the Shoalhaven River have broken around Nowra with several streets under water, such as in Bomaderry and Terara.
A flood alert has been issued for Nowra and Terara on Monday morning, with water levels continuing to rise.
The Bureau of Meteorology predicts the event to be as bad as the floods of June 1991.
Rainfall has eased since Sunday afternoon, though some areas of the river continue to rise.
The main flood peak is arriving at Nowra Monday morning. The Shoalhaven River at Nowra is currently at 4.13 metres and peaking with near major flooding.
The Shoalhaven River at Terara is currently at 3.89 metres and peaking with near major flooding.
The Shoalhaven River at Hillview peaked at 9.10metres on Sunday evening.
The Kangaroo River at Hampden Bridge recorded a 9.20metre peak on Saturday afternoon.
The Bureau of Meteorology predicts the following areas to be impacted by dangerous floodwaters:
- Low lying areas of Terara Village, Ferry Lane, Lyrebird Drive Moss Street, Hyam Street, Terara Road, Bolong Road and Burrier Road.
- A number of local roads around the Shoalhaven Heads area have been impacted by flood water causing dangerous driving conditions.
Floodwaters in Shoalhaven Heads may impact:
- Low lying properties on the coastal side of River Road and Hay Avenue (from Holiday Haven Caravan Park to Hay Ave Boat Ramp)
- Holiday Haven Caravan Park o Mountain View Resort
- Tall Timbers Caravan Park
- Coastal Palms
In life threatening emergencies, call 000 (triple zero) immediately. If you require rescue, assistance to evacuate or other emergency help, ring NSW SES on 132 500.
