Longstocking Brewery manager Ben Bayliss witnessed people continue to drink their coffee unfazed as a fellow employee rushed around in panic, warning of an impending flood.
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While driving to work on Sunday, February 9, Ben had seen the Pambula River raging.
But as he approached Oaklands, the fields surrounding were still visibly green and not underwater, much to his surprise.
Only a handful of minutes later, that was all about to change.
"Carlie Hayes from Oaklands came running up and said 10 minutes to get all the cars out of here, ran around to all the businesses and all the tables and told everyone," Ben recalled.
"I don't know if everyone just thought she was joking. I have no idea, but people were just sitting there.
"I said, 'Did you hear what she said? She's a local, she knows what's going on, we need to get out. Put your drinks down, get your cars and get out of here'."
Carlie had given the warning about 12.17pm, so Longstocking took it seriously and lifted cardboard stock in shipping containers onto milk crates.
By 12.35pm, the unmoved cars of patrons were inundated.
The pallets in the middle of the car park, which usually held stockfeed, had been washed away,
"It came up within 15 minutes from being able to drive on the gravel and get out to 'You're flooded in here for the next four hours'," Ben said.
"It was that quick.
"There were P-plates on this little Hyundai Accent, and the water was up to the door handles, and [the owner] has just jumped in it, and it started first go, so he backed it out.
"Another guy was trying to get a Maserati out, and it just wouldn't go. The lights wouldn't even turn on. It was dead, I'm pretty sure."
Ben also recalled a lady who had a three-day-old Toyota hybrid, who thought that because it was a 4WD, it was going to be fine, so she remained insistent on having her coffee.
That was until she saw the damage.
John Mills from SES said the weather had been localised, with heavy falls in Eden and the southern part of the shire, while towards the north, Cobargo and Bermagui, the rain hadn't been prolonged.
"That frustration of the individual running around warning of the impending flash flood, I can certainly understand that," John said.
"During the 2019/20 fires, trying to door knock and get people moving was just so hard. 'If it hasn't happened before, it's not going to happen now', they thought.
"So it's paramount, if emergency services knock on your door, please listen."
Jimmy Parker
I am a multi-award-winning regional news journalist on the Far South Coast of NSW. I aim to immortalise the stories of everyday people through narratives and capture breaking news. Have you got a story? Contact me on 0437 166 441 or at james.parker@austcommunitymedia.com.au
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