Parts of the Illawarra are in clean-up mode on Sunday, after a severe storm swept through the region late Saturday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Roofs were uplifted, tree branches were seen flying through the sky and a deluge of rain caused the underground carpark of Warrawong Plaza to flood temporarily. (scroll down for the picture gallery)
Brodie Thompson was driving through Wollongong at the time the storm hit "so much hail and branches falling down all over Cliff Road and Marine Drive".
They said it was "hazardous" to drive but they were on their way to a wedding reception at City Beach, where power outages and flash flooding caused chaos.
Wollongong resident Ceyda Eren was on Bligh Street when the intense storm with howling wind, a heavy downpour - seemingly raining sideways - and tree branches flying high in the air down the street.
She said she wasn't scared, but it did seem like "there was a tornado".
"[It was] just really interesting in how quick it was going," Ms Eren said.
Bradley Marendaz was out to dinner when he witnessed the roof become unstuck from a Jiu-Jitsu dojo on Crown Street, with crews from the State Emergency Service and Fire and Rescue NSW attending to make the site safe.
If you have any storm video or pictures, feel free to email us: COS@IllawarraMercury.com.au
"We could hear the roof still collapsing into the building [when we took some photos]," Mr Marendaz told the Mercury.
"The ceiling could be seen hanging inside the dojo. We could also see the ceiling collapsing inside La Mamita's Cafe - you could see light shining through the roof of the cafe on the rear wall of the right-hand side [through the window]".
Torrential rain, hailstones and strong winds left more than 6,000 households without power.
The Bureau of Meteorology records show between 5pm and 6.30pm on Saturday, Albion Park received over 31 millimetres of rain.
Local falls varied drastically - the weather station at Bellambi recorded less than 1 millimetre, while Kiama recorded just over 2 millimetres during the same period.
Cheryl Ann Mcdonald was doing deliveries Saturday night, and said "it was a nightmare driving in it and making different routes as there were road closures".
As of 3pm Sunday, the State Emergency Service had received more than 183 requests for help across the region, with more calls expected throughout the morning as residents and businesses assess the damage.
Wollongong was the hardest hit suburb, but there has been storm damage in other areas like Coniston, Warrawong, Mangerton and Shellharbour.
"Of the requests that came through, we attended a job for a partial ceiling collapse at Shellharbour Private Hospital, while also attending to flooded roads due to the heavy rainfall," an SES Spokesperson said.
"Calls are expected to continue to come in during the day, however no further severe weather is forecast for the Illawarra today."
Chief Inspector Terri-Ann Hurt is the Commander for Shellharbour and Kiama units of NSW SES and warned residents to take better care during storms.
"The storm that hit yesterday was very intense and created flash flooding in parts of the Illawarra. We understand that people need and want to get places, but driving through flood waters risks not only damage to your vehicle, but injury to the people inside."
It comes as nearly the entire East Coast of Australia wakes to a Tsunami warning - meaning hazardous ocean conditions for Sydney, the Illawarra and South Coast.
The Illawarra Mercury newsroom is funded by our readers. You can subscribe to support our journalism here.