UPDATED 3:46pm: Shellharbour City SES warn "if it's flooded forget it" as teams prepare for more rain and thunderstorms this afternoon.
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Currently Shellharbour City SES have four teams out in the region. The teams have completed two rescues and have responded to 17 jobs throughout the day.
Most call outs were in the Albion Park area and were for leaking roofs, trees down, flood threat and floods.
Deputy media co-ordinator Matthew Norris said wet conditions are expected to continue, with more rain predicted this afternoon and thunderstorms for later in the afternoon/early evening.
Roads remaining closed include Macquarie Pass, Taylor Road, Albion Park, North Macquarie Road and Old Illawarra Highway. Tongarra Road currently being reviewed for possible reopening. SES said more roads are expected to close this afternoon.
Shellharbour council advised the following roads have excess water but had not yet closed: Corner Croome and Tongarra, Sunset Ave Warilla, Antrim Ave Warilla and Creamery Road Albion Park Rail.
Kiama SES volunteers have also been kept busy throughout the day.
Flood rescue operators responded to an incident in Kangaroo Valley assisting an elderly person isolated by floodwaters.
For emergency assistance in floods and storms, call us on 132 500.
For any emergency phone Shellharbour City SES on 13 25 00 and follow the SES Facebook for regular updates.
Earlier: A willy-willy wind storm has ripped off roof tiles and a solar panel in Kiama Downs and flash flooding is affecting areas of Albion Park.
A mini storm referred to as a ‘willy willy’ caused damage to three homes in Meehan Drive, Kiama Downs.
The event happened at around 8.45am when it touched down on the road and proceeded to sweep across three roofs, lifting tiles and removing the solar panel from one roof and throwing it through a bedroom window in a neighbouring home.
“A neighbour was driving down the road and saw the ‘willy- willy’ and decided not to drive through it and saw it go across the top of our homes,” owner of one of the homes, Jenny Sheehy said.
“I heard the noise and went out the front to settle our dog down and didn’t realise the damage until our neighbour came in and told me that our solar panel had gone through her daughter’s bedroom window.
“Her daughter was in bed at the time and luckily she wasn’t injured by the flying glass.”
Neighbour Robyn Nightingale heard the glass break and didn’t realise that the sound had been from her daughter Emily’s room.
“She was naturally shocked, but luckily the pane that broke was at the foot end of her bed, otherwise it could have been far worse,” Mrs Nightingale said.
“Ironically we only had repairs done to our roof last Friday from a previous incident and the inspector was only here yesterday – I can’t believe I was back onto the insurance company so soon.”
Both women praised the quick response from Kiama SES.
“They were here very quickly after my initial call and have managed to patch up all three homes to minimise the water damage,” Mrs Sheehy said.
Shellharbour SES attended to more than 30 calls for assistance including to help a man who became trapped by flood water in his car in Taylor Road.
The Illawarra Highway is now closed between the Princes Highway and Tongarra Road in Albion Park Rail due to flooding.
Motorists are advised to use Tongarra Road as an alternative.
The following roads are also closed dueTaylor Road - Albion Park - both ends
North Macquarie Road - Tongarra
The following roads have excess water but at this stage have not been closed,
Cnr Croome & Tongarra
Sunset Ave Warilla
Antrim Ave Warilla
Creamery Road Albion Park Rail
For the latest public transport information, visit www.transportnsw.info or call 131 500.
For the latest traffic information, visit www.livetraffic.com or call 132 701.