Torrential Rain Causes Widespread Flooding in Sydney

Torrential rain pounded the Sutherland Shire in Sydney, causing widespread flooding and forcing emergency services to respond to numerous calls for assistance. The SES volunteers played a crucial role in rescuing motorists from their cars, which became stuck due to flooding on the Princes Highway at Waterfall. This was the second SES rescue in the area in 12 hours, following a dramatic rescue of three bushwalkers who were stranded at Wattamolla in Royal National Park. The heavy rainfall dumped significant amounts of water, with Cronulla recording 147mm in the 24 hours to 9am today.

Key Takeaways:

• SES volunteers rescued motorists from their cars on the Princes Highway at Waterfall, which became stuck due to flooding, just before midnight.
• The first flood rescue took place about 1pm yesterday when SES and NSW Ambulance crews rescued three bushwalkers who became trapped between two rising streams at Wattamolla in Royal National Park.
• The SES responded to over 30 calls for assistance in the Sutherland Shire, with the heaviest rainfall recorded at Cronulla (147mm) and other areas like Royal National Park (127mm), Lucas Heights (101mm), Darkes Forest (98mm), and Woronora Dam (98mm).
• Deputy Local Commander for the SES in Sutherland Shire, Inspector Sam Corby, stated that two cars became stuck in floodwaters at Waterfall, with one driver escaping safely and the others requiring assistance from SES crews.
• A drone was deployed to locate the bushwalkers at Wattamolla, and three flood rescue operators, along with two NSW Ambulance flood rescue operators, carried out the rescue using an arkangel raft.
• NSW SES Assistant Commissioner Dean Storey praised the multi-agency flood rescue response, which deployed the latest technology to effect a successful outcome.
• The SES received a "large volume of requests from the Sydney area with storm-related incidents" and warned that rainfall rates and wind gusts were starting to ease in the Illawarra and southern Sydney.

Statistics:

• 147mm of rainfall recorded at Cronulla in 24 hours to 9am today
• 127mm of rainfall recorded at Royal National Park in 24 hours to 9am today
• 101mm of rainfall recorded at Lucas Heights in 24 hours to 9am today
• 98mm of rainfall recorded at both Darkes Forest and Woronora Dam in 24 hours to 9am today
• Over 30 calls for assistance responded to by the SES in the Sutherland Shire

Sources:

• "SES volunteers help motorists to safety after cars become stuck by flooding of the Princes Highway at Waterfall during torrential rain overnight." - Murray Trembath
• Bureau of Meteorology
• NSW SES statement