Hundreds of NSW south coast residents have been ordered to evacuate immediately as homes are expected to flood.
The SES has been doorknocking homes at Sussex Inlet and St George's Basin on Tuesday night, ordering about 300 people to move to evacuation centres in anticipation of further flooding at high tide about 4am on Wednesday.
"Conditions will be dangerous," SES spokesman Phil Campbell said.
The evacuation orders come as farmers further north, near Nowra, have been urged to move livestock before they wake up to flooded farms and roads on Wednesday.
Earlier on Tuesday, the SES issued an urgent evacuation notice to residents living downstream from a dam that has begun to collapse under the weight of overflowing water.
Jerrara Dam, west of Kiama, showed signs of a failing wall about 10am because of heavy rainfall, with water spilling over, leaving 10 properties in serious risk and the nearby village of Minnamurra vulnerable.
Residents of two properties opted to stay and defend their home, while eight other properties were evacuated.
Minnamurra Primary School, which has 430 students, was closed as a precautionary measure and students were evacuated.
If the dam busts, it will cause extremely dangerous flooding to areas including Mt Brandon Road, Jerrara Road and Jamberoo Road, an SES spokesman said.
"We do not know what is going to happen," he said.
Lisa, who works at Jamberoo Bowling Club, said there is a concern that water will flood the Minnamurra River, which will flood low-lying parts of Kiama Downs, if the dam wall goes.
She said parents were earlier told "not to panic, but to please pick up children from school".
"The biggest issue we have is for parents that work out of town and left this morning and can't get back in ... like what happened a couple of years ago," she said.
Storm-drenched Illawarra residents were also warned to brace for another night of damaging winds and flooding.
Motorists have been urged to drive with extreme caution.
The NSW SES has received more than 1300 requests for assistance and has conducted 57 flood rescues since Monday night, with half of those coming from Sydneysiders.
But the city will be spared on Tuesday night, a Bureau of Meteorology spokesman said.
Rain is expected to ease to showers by Wednesday morning, according to the bureau.
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