In some Illawarra locations 250 millimetres of rain fell in just 24 hours, most of it in a terrifying hour or so around 5-6am on Saturday, April 6.

As residents ran for lives cars floated down streets threatening to knock them off their feet, others frantically passed infant children across floodwaters to be rescued.

Some homes flooded when nearby creeks burst their banks, or torrents of water gushed down the escarpment, others were swamped when drains in the street outside couldn't cope with the deluge.

SES volunteers received hundreds of calls for help in the aftermath, and so far they've assessed 64 homes in the Illawarra, but they say many more homes were damaged and the SES not called in.

Some of the worst-hit streets SES crews assessed are:

Floodwaters reached the power points in 15 of the homes they assessed, up to the light switch in seven homes, and a home on Dalmeny Avenue in Figtree had floodwater above the ceiling.

Houses have damaged flooring; collapsed ceilings; damaged walls, floors and tiles; mud and sludge inside homes; and piers underneath homes have collapsed.

Outside backyard and patios have washed away, and retaining walls have been damaged or collapsed.

The emotional toll of another flood event has been huge for Albion Park Rail couple Leonie and Michael Whitton.

This is the sixth time their home on Princes Highway has flooded and it was one of the properties assessed by SES crews.

Along with their daughter Jasmine who lives in a converted garage out the back, they'd prepared and placed sandbags to stop the water that gushes across the highway from the industrial park (which includes Bunnings and Sydney Tools) and into their home.

"We got a phone call from Jasmine saying help she's under. We raced out in our pyjamas into the flooding water trying to help her escape from the garage where she lives," Mrs Whitton said.

"The torrent was that strong I was swept off my feet."

The rain run-off flooded the garage destroying a bed, clothing and furniture; it picked up an outdoor spa pool and moved it 10 metres smashing it into their boundary fence leaving it damaged. It destroyed their driveway which is now littered with gravel from the industrial park.

Luckily the floodwaters didn't make it inside the main home.

The land the industrial park sits on was once a flood plain, since it was built the family say their home has flooded more often and more significantly

"A bigger volume is coming through now," Mr Whitton said.

Mrs Whitton said the family is frustrated with "the council not helping and not solving the problems that we're having".

Hit the image above to see more pictures

Emergency funds are available for Illawarra flooding victims, with free household clean-up on offer for flood-affected Wollongong residents.

For assistance cleaning up from the floods call the SES on 132 500.

Minister for the Illawarra and South Coast Ryan Park urged anyone affected by the floods not to sit in silence and suffer.

"You have local councillors, you have elected local members, please reach out to those people if you are having trouble," he said.