Communities across New South Wales are beginning a massive clean-up operation after a ferocious band of severe storms hammered the state, leaving a trail of destruction, one man dead, and thousands of properties without electricity.
A State of Emergency
The intense weather system, which struck on Wednesday, unleashed significant winds across vast regions of NSW. The Bureau of Meteorology recorded devastating gusts, including a powerful 119km/h at Nobbys Head, with 109km/h winds battering both Orange and Dubbo. The fury of the storm was not confined to NSW, with neighbouring Queensland also experiencing violent winds exceeding 107km/h.
The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) was inundated with calls for assistance, responding to a staggering nearly 2,300 calls in the 24-hour period to 5am this morning. The scale of the damage was immense, with a particular focus on the Sydney region.
Widespread Damage and Disruption
The Sydney suburb of Blacktown emerged as the epicentre of the storm's impact, becoming the busiest area for emergency crews with more than 350 storm-related jobs. Dramatic footage, including drone video, captured the sheer force of the weather, showing a huge gum tree that had been ripped from the ground and crushed a car.
A large number of trees were brought down across Sydney, western NSW and the Central Coast, blocking roads, damaging homes and vehicles, and contributing to widespread power cuts. The damage to infrastructure led to significant Sydney train delays, crippling parts of the city's transport network during the morning commute and adding to the chaos.
Recovery and Aftermath
As the storm system moves away, the full extent of the aftermath is becoming clear. The human cost of the severe weather was tragically confirmed with one man left dead. Furthermore, thousands of residents were left without power as crews work tirelessly to restore electricity and clear dangerous debris from streets and properties.
The recovery effort is now fully underway, with emergency services and utility companies prioritising the most severely affected areas to restore normalcy as quickly as possible.
