Campers instructed to rethink journey as extreme climate lashes NSW south coast

Campers and travellers have begun to depart or change journey plans for the NSW south coast with extreme climate forecast to proceed battering the area throughout the weekend.

A extreme climate warning of heavy rain and damaging wind is in place for the state’s south coast and elements of the Illawarra, Southern Tablelands and Snowy Mountains.

The city of Eden on the NSW far south coast was badly hit on Thursday night time, when the primary of the storms made landfall.

Garden of Eden caravan park supervisor Bea Bamford needed to evacuate campers from low-lying areas into cabins on the high aspect of the park.

“Some tents and loads of stuff have been left behind and are ruined.

“They’re all packing up and heading residence.”

Ms Bamford said the nearby river rose to past her knees during the night and pushed down the caravan park’s fence line.

“The particles and the destruction is clear this morning,” she stated.

Campers warned

Authorities have warned the risk is not over, with six-hourly rainfall totals of 50 to 80 millimetres expected on the south coast during Friday and isolated falls of up to 120 millimetres possible.

The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) has warned the severe weather could pose significant risks for campers and travellers across the south coast and Illawarra during the next 48 hours.

The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast that the shoreline from Wollongong to Moruya shall be worst impacted on Friday.

SES incident controller Sharon Fox said crews were visiting high-risk camping areas and coastal sites along the south coast.

“Anyone that’s camped alongside the south coast in these low-lying areas we positively urge you to make a smart move and pack up and transfer away from these areas,” Ms Fox stated.

“The more people that take that advice is fantastic, because it just lowers the stress for the volunteers having to go out and do rescues.”

Caravan Park operators within the Illawarra have reached out to their campers with warnings in regards to the extreme climate.

Big Four Kiama caravan park operator Sharon Nellies stated the park was taking all precautions.

“We’re also contacting all of our sites that are anywhere near our potential flood sites and warned them to prepare for emergency evacuation or to leave early,” she stated.

“Most of our sites are due to leave tomorrow, so we are seeing a lot of sites packing up now to get ahead of it and leave today.”

People are being urged to depart early and monitor situations on the roads, particularly as situations peak within the Illawarra on Friday afternoon.

“We need people to take care on the roads,” Ms Fox stated.

“If we do see those thunderstorms developing, it’s likely that they could lead to flash flooding on the roads.”

High rainfall totals

According to the Bureau of Meteorology, Merimbula Airport obtained 110 millimetres within the 24 hours to 10am on Friday, whereas Brogo close to Bega obtained 115mm and Green Cape 77mm.

Multiple residents in Eden, Kiah and Nethercote instructed the ABC that they had obtained about 200mm of their rain gauges.

The State Emergency Service responded to 98 requires help throughout the south-eastern zone within the 24 hours to 8am.

Wet weekend forecast

Winds had been anticipated to common 60-70 kilometres per hour throughout elements of the shoreline, notably round Jervis Bay, on Friday.

SES south east responsibility incident controller Barry Griffiths stated motorists ought to plan their journeys.

“There’s some significant rainfall, consistently spread through the day, all the way from Eden up to Sydney,” he stated.

“If you are driving, it will be moist in the present day, so make sure that your windshield wipers are in good situation.

“Check the climate … and both defer journey or simply ensure that when you’re travelling, if the rain is simply too heavy, pull over.

The heaviest rain is predicted to shift slowly up the coast via after Friday, to be targeted across the Illawarra and Sydney on Saturday and the Hunter by Sunday.