Storms that sent a 'torrent of water' through homes eases in parts of NSW but it's not over yet, BOM says

Severe weather has temporarily eased in parts of New South Wales after more than 24 hours of heavy rain and flash flooding, but the Bureau of Meteorology is warning more storms are likely to form overnight.

It comes after heavy rain across parts of the NSW south coast and southern hinterland led to seven flood rescues.

The highest rainfall on record was at Lake Conjola, which residents said rose more than a meter after 351 millimeters fell between 9 a.m. Tuesday and 9 a.m. Wednesday.

The State Emergency Service (SES) said two of the seven rescues involved residents stranded in flooded homes, but most had been from cars thrown into flood waters, including two from a car in South Nowra.

By late Wednesday afternoon, the SES had received around 370 calls for help from Wollongong to Eden, and 40 homes at Lake Conjola had been affected by flooding.

A watch and act warning remained in place for Lake Conjola and people were urged not to enter flood water.

A resident had to deal with flooding while checking his mailbox at Lake Conjola this morning.(ABC Southeast: James Tugwell)

Several homes were also affected around Saint Georges Basin, where a group was rescued from a home in Wrights Beach.

Meanwhile, in the south-west of the state, the SES struggled to access the town of Deniliquin to respond to 40 calls for help.

"The way the rain fell has effectively cut it off, falling into the lagoon tax systems in the city," state operations manager Dallas Burnes said Wednesday afternoon.

The downpours caused a fall of more than 200mm at the Avon Dam in the Illawarra region, and more than 160mm in parts of the Bega Valley.

The SES, seen here in Lake Conjola, responded to dozens of calls overnight.(Supplied: Mardi Hempstead)

Flash floods continue

Burnes said Wednesday afternoon that the agency anticipated continued flash flooding over the next 24 hours, with warnings of severe thunderstorms affecting much of the east of the state.

A moderate flood warning has been issued for the River Bega at Bega North overnight on Wednesday and Thursday.

Burnes advised residents in the state's northeast to use caution ahead of expected supercell storms, with damaging winds and large hail.

"Please be careful, it is a very dangerous weather system that can occur in a very localized area," he said.

Lake Conjola is born

In the south of the state, Melanie Guise said Lake Conjola was 0.59 meters high when she went to bed and had risen to 1.8 meters when she woke up this morning.

He said the worst flooding he had witnessed occurred in 2020, when the lake peaked at 2.14m.

Charging...

Lake Conjola beach is flooded.(Supplied: Melanie Guise)

Fellow resident Mardi Hempstead said neighbors alerted her to the situation at 4 a.m. and by 5:15 a.m. water was reaching her door.

"We are probably 500 millimeters below," he said.

"The floods we had, after the 2020 fires, were 700 mm and the water continues to rise.

"The rise of this water was very rapid."

Hempstead said he expected to lose "some things down there" and that repairs would be necessary.

A 'torrent of water' in Mogo

In Mogo, south of Bateman's Bay, resident Byron Dickson said the floods came suddenly and dramatically.

This morning, rapid flooding washed out this road in Mogo.(Supplied: Eurobodalla Shire Council)

"The gurgling of the pipes woke me up, and I looked out and thought, 'Not again,'" he said.

"A torrent of water roared over this bridge. It is simply devastating to see a large container full of equipment carried away by the flood waters."

The only road connecting him and others to the city was washed away by floods, leaving them isolated.

He said it was like déjà vu for him and other residents.

"Mogo never seems to get a break here," Dickson said.

Byron Dickson said Mogo Highway was washed out two years ago by similar flooding.(ABC Southeast: James Tugwell)

For many members of the community, which was doubly devastated by the wildfires and floods of 2019 and 2020, the prospect of another cleanup was daunting.

"Everyone is struggling financially right now, to have everything destroyed again is heartbreaking," said resident Allison Hopkins.

"It's going to bring this community to its knees."

About 100 kilometers north, in Kiama, roads were cut off by flooding, forcing residents to seek alternative routes.

Lake Conjola is just one part of the state affected by flooding.(Supplied: Jacqui Smith)

'Many houses' flooded in Deniliquin

Emergency services said more than 20 homes had been affected by flooding in Deniliquin, in the state's southwest. and a flood rescue had been carried out.

Charging...

About 135 millimeters fell in the city on Tuesday night, the highest level since 1978.

Fire and rescue area commander Stewart Alexander said crews were "working non-stop" responding to "job after job after job."

"We still don't have a clear figure, but there are many, many houses [affected] "We believe at this point more than 20 have been reported," he said.

"We're doing one job and as soon as we complete one incident, they immediately move us on to another."

Parks and backyards in Deniliquin were left under water on Tuesday morning after more than 100mm of rain overnight.(Supplied: Ryan Heffer)

Superintendent Alexander said an emergency operations center had been established and a clearer picture of the damage was expected by Wednesday night.

Council chief executive Phil Stone said the town was very flat and water could not drain away easily.

"The water just can't go away that fast, so it's pooling up in people's backyards," he said.

Lake Conjola residents said flood water approached the level seen in 2020.(Supplied: NSW SES)

Shifting southeast

Earlier on Wednesday, the SES predicted storm activity would intensify across much of the state and could lead to localized heavy falls, large hail and damaging wind gusts.

"The NSW SES has pre-positioned aviation assets and heavy vehicles, high-clearance vehicles, in the areas of most concern to us," Mr Burnes said.

He warned residents in areas expected to receive heavy rain that the best form of protection is not to travel at all.

"The best rescue we do is the one we don't have to do," Chief Superintendent Burnes said.

Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib said other agencies, including the Rural Fire Service, were also available to assist in any rescue efforts.

"One of the lessons of the past is that sometimes we have waited too long," he said.

"It's about positioning ourselves beforehand, being as prepared as possible.

"We'd rather be over-prepared than under-prepared and make sure we do everything we can to help and support the community."

Storms that sent a ‘torrent of water’ through homes eases in parts of NSW but it’s not over yet, BOM says

Key points:

Flash floods continue

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