south coast storm: Evacuation orders issued for Sussex Inlet residents
The SES has issued a flood warning for parts of Sussex Inlet as flood waters continue to rise across the south coast, forcing some residents to flee by boat.
The South Coast News
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The NSW south coast is once again at the centre of a major weather event, with residents forced to flee their homes due to flooding and extreme rainfall.
Homes and cars in the small town of Sanctuary Point were partially underwater by 5pm yesterday, with flooding worsening as the river peaked at 1.1 metres overnight.
Young children, mums and elderly residents were rescued from flooding homes by caring locals on Monday afternoon, with a group of men using a small boat to get them to safety.
Twenty homes in Sussex Inlet have also been impacted, with the SES issuing an evacuation warning for a number of streets in the coastal town, advising anyone living there to “leave now and move to safety”.
“Additional impact may be seen with the influence of wave and wind action,” the SES advised.
“Residents in this area should remain alert. Residents should relocate personal possessions to a safe place.
“Leave now, leave the high danger area and move to safety.”
The SES warned that the river is set to peak again around 2pm, and that once floodwater enters low lying areas of Sussex Inlet, properties will be flooded above floor level, road access will be lost and sewerage lines and power to the area may be lost.
“If you remain in the area you may be trapped, and it may be too dangerous for NSW SES to rescue you,” the SES said.
The low pressure system hammering the coast began in Queensland before moving through Sydney and the Illawarra and now the south coast.
According to the Bureau of Meteorology, 153.2mm of rain had fallen over the Jervis Bay area by 8am on Monday morning.
The deluge coupled with gale force winds saw 14,500 homes in the Shoalhaven lose power overnight.
“More than 200 electrical hazards on the Endeavour Energy network have been reported since this morning,” a spokesman for Endeavour Energy said.
“Unfortunately this means that some customers will be without power overnight due to the scale of the damage, ongoing bad weather and road closures from flooding.”
Since Saturday, the SES has responded to 1900 storm jobs, including 29 flood rescues.
One of those rescues occurred on Swamp Road at Jamberoo overnight. Two people had to be rescued when a flatbed truck was caught in rising floodwaters.
NSW SES volunteers arrived shortly after 4am on Tuesday and used a raft to access the vehicle.
SUSSEX INLET ADDRESSES BEING TOLD TO EVACUATE:
– Wunda Ave – numbers 5, 8, 10, 11, and 13
– Elmoos Ave, numbers 52, 54 and 60
– Jacobs Street, number 120
– Poole Ave, number 4
– River Road, numbers 155, 266, 270
– Cater Crescent, number 4
– Banksia Street, number 9
– Fairview Ave, number 9