The wind gusts that sent a tree toppling onto Gordon Timbs' South Nowra home in 1998 wreaked havoc in the Shoalhaven.
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While Mr Timbs died when the 25-metre tall spotted gum crashed through his roof and onto his bed as he slept, others like Gary Cotton were more fortunate.
Mr Cotton and wife Shelli were living in Tomerong at the time, and had two trees fall on their home.
"One big one fell onto the next and they both ended up on the house," he said.
It was "bloody scary", he said, but they survived because of the way they had built their home.
"The only difference was I'd made my house out of hardwood and bolted it all together because it was all exposed internally, and that saved us," Mr Cotton said.
"Gordon's house was just a standard house with pine, and it [the tree] went straight though it."
He said it was "a horrible big just of wind" he could hear roaring through a gully as it approached the home, with trees falling over in its wake.
Damage throughout the region was so bad it took the SES more than 12 hours to attend because there were many other homes with trees on their roofs.
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"We already had the trees cut and lifted off with a crane by then," Mr Cotton said.
While the home and its occupants survived, there was still plenty of damage and a long time making repairs before fires hit at the end of 2000.
Mr Cotton said that was enough for him, and the family moved to Tasmania.
While debate rages about the future of the 45-degree tree control rule, Mr Cotton said it needed to be retained because it saved lives and homes.
"If that had been in we wouldn't have been hit," he said.
"They wouldn't let us cut down trees in Tomerong at the time because of the beautiful setting, but they were only 15-feet from the home."
Council decided the trees were not dangerous, he said, "which they probably weren't at the time, but they weren't as big as they were when they fell over, but they [the council] don't think of that."
Mr Cotton said trees posed more risks beyond just wind.
"Any tree is bloody dangerous if it's too close to your house, whether it's bushfire or wind."
