Clean-up begins after devastating storm unleashes chaos on Port Pirie, more than 170 SES call-outs
Port Pirie is counting the cost after a “tornado-like” storm hit the city, causing widespread destruction and leaving stunned residents without power and facing a huge clean-up operation.
A freak storm which smashed Port Pirie caused mass power outages, flooding and widespread damage in what emergency services labelled the most significant storm in the region ever.
Emergency services received over 250 call-outs for help after destructive wind gusts reached up to almost 120km/h, ripping roofs from homes, with rain turning roads to rivers as hail pelted the Spencer Gulf city on Saturday night.
The freak storm, which Premier Peter Malinauskas said was “not forecast by the Bureau of Meteorology”, caused widespread destruction and left stunned residents facing a massive clean-up operation.
On Sunday, SES acting chief officer Kristy Phelps said it was the “most significant storm event that we’ve had in the Port Pirie region on record”.
The streets of Risdon Park – a suburb within Port Pirie – were littered with downed trees and branches on Sunday, after the storm had passed.
One felled tree had completely destroyed the bedroom and shed at an elderly resident’s property. That house was rendered unliveable and the resident was forced to stay with a neighbour.
Angela Lewis and her husband, who live in Risdon Park, were taking photos of the ankle deep water damage in their back room on Saturday evening as the storm swept through the city.
“As I just stepped back, the ceiling in the dining room fell. It missed me by probably a foot,” she said.
“I was lucky. It got my feet but didn’t hit my head.”
Ms Lewis said she suffered a bit of a shock but was uninjured.
The 71-year-old said the storm came just minutes after her insurance company reached out to advise them to move cars into the garage.
The Risdon Park woman said her back room, which sits a foot below the rest of the house, suffered significant water damage and the wind swept the paint off her outdoor furniture.
“We thought (our shed) was gone forever and we found it this morning. It’s all crushed up but we found it … this morning all crushed and up against the back of the garage. Everything in it is gone,” she said.
Another resident told The Advertiser the storm rolled in fast and was frightening.
“When I looked out, you could see it swirling towards us like a tornado,” she said.
“And then all of a sudden the winds picked up and we got pounded.“
The storm left a more than 20m tall tree perched on Risdon Park local Leanne Hudson’s roof.
“I just sat down and then bang,” Ms Hudson, 59, said of the storm on Saturday.
“It happened very suddenly and I didn’t know if it was a tree or what.”
It was the worst storm she had seen in her life living in the area.
“I love storms but that was a bit over the top,” Ms Hudson said.
“I didn’t know it was coming.”
Even after shutting all of her doors and windows, she couldn’t keep the storm from wreaking havoc on her house.
“The windows were shut but rain was still coming through,” Ms Hudson said.
“I was worried about the trees.”
On Sunday afternoon she was still without electricity as SES crews worked to clear debris from her property.
SA Power Networks said strong winds and gusts of up to 119km/h caused significant damage to the electricity network, leaving 5000 residents and businesses without power.
By Sunday night that number had been reduced to 1000 customers, and by Monday that figure was in the hundreds.
SES state duty officer Ian Bonython said a significant weather cell went through the Mid North city.
“170 calls in the last 12 hours, for a small rural community that’s a lot of pressure to be put on to the emergency services,” said
“They essentially had wind damage taking trees and tree branches, loose roofing, and they also had water entering through ceilings and rising in people’s backyards and front yards.”
SES units from across the state, CFS volunteers and an MFS strike team were called in to help with the clean up.
On Sunday morning, Mr Bonython said they had 23 remaining requests for assistance but he expected further calls to come through as residents were waking up to find storm damage.
As clean up continues, Mr Bonython urged residents to stay away from downed power lines and motorists to be weary of debris on the roads.
Anyone who requires assistance can call the SES on 132 500.
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