Sussex Inlet flooding: Residents assess damage after ‘horrendous’ night
Residents remain on high alert after flash flooding, high winds, and a huge high tide smashed the South Coast, with roads, sheds and basements copping the brunt of damage.
The South Coast News
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Sussex Inlet residents are on high alert after flash flooding and heavy rain smashed the South Coast on Monday afternoon and in to the night.
Streets and homes were inundated with floodwaters overnight and trees felled as rain and winds lashed the coastline, and authorities received 242 calls for assistance from residents.
According to the Bureau of Meteorology, 225mm of rain had fallen over the Jervis Bay area by 9am on Tuesday.
Overnight, 20 homes were evactuated by SES volunteers as floodwaters peaked at Sussex Inlet around 1am.
Wunda Ave resident Caterina Fahey, who moved to the area seven months ago, described the wind and rain as “horrendous” but chose to remain in her home.
“We’ve had fires, COVID and now this,” she said.
Like many other residents along nearby streets, Ms Fahey said she saw flashing lights all through the early hours of the morning with SES crews doorknocking residents, telling thm to be on full alert.
She said she felt safe depsite the rising flood waters and atrocious winds but opted to move her car closer to Jacobs Drive in case she became stuck due to the floods.
“I was told that if I wanted to I could move my car (to higher ground),” she said.
“They told me if I did, I would be better off.”
Ms Fahey’s yard was inundated, but her entertaining area in the back was spared. About 9.30am her boss from the Sussex Inlet RSL and neighbour Cheyne Jones waded through the stable flood waters to check in on her.
“It makes me feel like I’m part of their little Sussex Inlet family,” Ms Fahey said.
Mr Jones, a third generation homeowner on Banksia Street, said the East Coast Low of 2015 was worse.
However, he was waiting for the impact of Tuesday afternoon’s high tide.
“My neighbour’s shed is gone,” he said.
“It’s in my yard. The tide is starting to come in. Water is still coming down the hills. We’ll wait and see.”
Mr Jones said the winds were relentless. He was lucky no trees fell, he said.
“It was just non-stop. If I didn’t have palm trees, I’d have had heaps (fall) down last night.”
On Jacobs Drive, neighbours came to check the damage of a large eucalypt tree that miraculously landed bewteen two properties, missing both when it fell yesterday afternoon.
The tree landed on a fence and mailbox.
