Kiama will cop the brunt of heavy rainfall across the Illawarra during the next few days, with around 200 millimetres predicted to fall.
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The rainy weather has been constant so far this month, with Illawarra homes and businesses continuing their massive clean-up after 250mm of rain was dumped on the region in 24 hours on April 6.
During the next five days, May 9-13, up to 205mm of rain is forecast for Kiama, with 115mm for Bellambi and 105mm for Albion Park.
During the first eight days of May, Kiama received 176.2mm of rain, which is much higher than the month's mean rainfall of 119.4mm.
Albion Park copped double its usual May rainfall, with 123.6mm. The mean for the month is 63.1mm.
Bellambi's rain gauge has been offline for most of the month so far, with readings only resuming at 9.30am on May 8. Since then 45.2mm has been recorded until 8.30am on Thursday, May 9.
The average May rainfall for Bellambi is 45.2mm
Shellharbour Council is making arrangements for sand to be delivered to Myimbarr Sporting Complex and Albion Park Showgrounds for community to fill their own bags. It is scheduled for delivery by mid-afternoon on Thursday.
In the Wollongong LGA, sandbag points are open at:
- Bellambi boat ramp overflow carpark
- Fairy Meadow Beach carpark
- Fred Finch Park carpark
- Rex Jackson Oval, Walker Street, Helensburgh
People should bring their own bags and a shovel, if you don't have hessian bags, the green supermarket bags will work.
No sandbag points are available in Kiama at this stage.
Tops tips when sandbagging
During low level flooding, sandbags placed in the right locations around your home can reduce the impact of flooding, Shellharbour SES said.
"It is not necessary to place a sandbag wall around your house to provide protection, only the entry point like doorways or garage doors," SES crews said.
"Where possible, lift items up off the floor that may be damaged.
"If your property has experienced flash flooding in the past, you need to look at maintenance and/or repairs to prevent this happening in the future as sandbags are only a temporary solution."
If you are experiencing flooding in your property during a weather event, call the NSW SES on 132 500.
Stay informed by downloading the Hazards Near Me App and setting up a watch zone for your local area.
Nadine Morton
Nadine Morton covers emergency services and breaking news for the Illawarra Mercury. She takes pride in regional journalism which she believes is crucial to informing our towns and cities. Have a story? Email her at nadine.morton@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Nadine Morton covers emergency services and breaking news for the Illawarra Mercury. She takes pride in regional journalism which she believes is crucial to informing our towns and cities. Have a story? Email her at nadine.morton@austcommunitymedia.com.au
