Kurnell residents devastated after a barrage of storms in Sydney
Strong winds, thunderstorms, hail and a tornado ravaged the southern suburb of Kurnell in Sydney on Wednesday and left residents devastated.
The calamity left two people injured but no one severely hurt, according to authorities.
Frank Partlic, a homeowner who had sold his house on Tuesday, told the Sydney Morning Herald that the storm had destroyed the home he had worked hard on for months. His house, which was sold for $1.15 million at an auction, was wrecked by the storm right after. He and his family had just been celebrating its sale when the storm hit. Partlic is also currently battling cancer.
"I can see the sky from our garage ... I can see lots of parts of roofs in the street," Melanie Bowman, a local of the suburbs, told news.com.au. “It felt just like a cyclone with hail and high winds. My husband has left to come home from work and he can’t actually get out here," she added.
Flights out of Sydney were cancelled during the storm and delayed commuters were trying to get out of Sydney. Incoming flights were diverted to other airports in Australia. Some passengers left their cars in the middle of heavy traffic.
It initially began with a little drizzle and roared into a devastating storm at around 10:30 a.m. Businesses and homes were torn to shreds with the heavy rains in the morning. At 3 p.m., three thunderstorms worked their way around Sydney.
Apart from heavy rainfall and strong winds, the storm also included hail and a tornado with running over 200 kilometers per hour. A meteorologist pointed out the odd nature of the said storm saying it is "dangerous" and unusual.
Police have notified people to end the day early as soon as possible in the middle of the afternoon. Police dispatched the news after fears of having congested roads while the storm is ongoing. Fire and State Emergency Services also checked the houses after the tornado struck and the suburb was then considered a disaster zone. Some parts of the suburbs still do not have power and sewage.
"This is a hard blow for the Kurnell community, just one week before Christmas, " Phil Campbell, NSW State Emergency Services spokesperson said.
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