Severe Weather Forces Evacuation and Travel Changes on NSW South Coast
Campers and travelers are being urged to reconsider their plans as severe wet weather continues to batter the NSW south coast throughout the weekend. The region is experiencing heavy rain and damaging winds, with a severe weather warning in place for the south coast and parts of the Illawarra, Southern Tablelands, and Snowy Mountains.
The town of Eden, located on the far south coast of NSW, was particularly affected on Thursday night when the first storm made landfall. Garden of Eden caravan park manager, Bea Bamford, had to evacuate campers from low-lying areas into cabins at the top of the park. She described the situation, "We had to remove everyone, get trucks and tractors, and remove all caravans as best we could. Some tents and a lot of stuff have been left behind and are ruined. They're all packing up and heading home."
The nearby river rose to her knees during the night, causing the caravan park's fence line to be pushed down. Ms Bamford noted the extent of the debris and destruction evident in the morning.
Campers and travelers are being warned that the risk is not over. The authorities predict six-hourly rainfall totals of 50 to 80 millimeters on the south coast during Friday, with isolated falls of up to 120 millimeters possible. The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) has issued a warning, stating that the severe weather could pose significant risks for campers and travelers across the south coast and Illawarra during the next 48 hours.
The Bureau of Meteorology forecasts that the coastline from Wollongong to Moruya will be the worst-impacted area on Friday. SES incident controller, Sharon Fox, advised, "Anyone camped along the south coast in low-lying areas should make a smart decision and pack up and move away from those areas. The best advice would be to pack up and move on."
Caravan park operators in the Illawarra have contacted their campers with warnings about the severe weather. Big Four Kiama caravan park operator, Sharon Nellies, mentioned, "We're taking all precautions and contacting all sites near potential flood sites, warning them to prepare for emergency evacuation or to leave early. Most sites are due to leave tomorrow, so we're seeing a lot of sites packing up now to get ahead of it and leave today."
People are urged to leave early and monitor road conditions, especially as conditions peak in the Illawarra on Friday afternoon. SES southeast duty incident controller, Barry Griffiths, emphasized, "There's significant rainfall consistently spread throughout the day, from Eden up to Sydney. If you're driving, ensure your windshield wipers are in good condition. Check the weather and either defer travel or pull over if the rain is too heavy. If you see any floodwater, don't drive through it."
The heaviest rain is predicted to shift slowly up the coast after Friday, focusing around the Illawarra and Sydney on Saturday and the Hunter by Sunday.
