Grants for people directly affected by Adelaide floods

THE State Government has announced $700 grants for those directly affected by the floods, as the state begins to clean up after the wettest September day in the Adelaide region on record. Koala in amazing pic ‘safe’ | How we covered the clean-up | More rain coming | Landslide inside house

• THE CLEAN-UP: How we covered the weather today
• FORECAST: There’s more to come
• VIRAL: Koala in incredible picture ‘found safe’
• YESTERDAY: How the storms caused widespread chaos

SOUTH Australians are counting the cost from the past 24 hours of wild weather with a massive clean-up beginning after widespread flooding and gale-force winds lashed the state this week.

Premier Jay Weatherilll told a media conference it was too early to determine a damage bill for the storm event, which caused 80 homes to be damaged or inundated by flood waters.

“We expect that number will rise as we learn more about the impacts,” he said.

He said families affected by the floods could be eligible for $700 in relief funding and a further $700 in clean-up grants.

At Old Noarlunga, where a swing bridge over the swollen Onkaparinga River in Old Noarlunga was swept away, the State Emergency Service evacuated residents from 75 homes.

The SES responded to more than 750 calls for help on Wednesday and another 93 on Thursday.

“There are currently only a handful of outstanding jobs,” Mr Weatherill said.

“The majority of calls for assistance for the SES related to clearing trees, flooding in houses and the clearing of roads — roughly a third of each of the inquiries were in those three areas.

“Throughout the night SES crews and SA Police were involved in doorknocking and evacuations within the area of Old Noarlunga as swell of the Lower Onkaparinga River reached its peak.”

A flood warning around the Lower Onkaparinga River remains in place.

Some people were forced to spend the night in relief shelters, while residents at Waterfall Gully are still unable to access their homes.

Thirty-nine roads have been closed, including Waterfall Gully Rd, Waterfall Gully and Montacute Rd, Montacute, because of flooding.

Damage during the storm — which dumped 122mm at Ashton in the Adelaide Hills and 98mm in the Mount Lofty catchment area in the 24 hours to 6am Thursday — included a building collapse at Brown Hill Creek.

There are numerous other reports of damage across the Adelaide Hills

It was a different story on the plains, with Adelaide Airport recording just 8mm.

Overall, the Bureau of Meteorology said it was the wettest September day in the Adelaide region on record.

The SES has advised residents to avoid floodwaters which are likely to be fast moving.

“You should never walk, ride or drive through floodwater or allow children to play in or near floodwater,’’ the SES spokesman said.

Pictures: Deluge wreaks havoc across Adelaide

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Trains and trams were running as normal by 6am on Thursday after the Goodwood Station, on the Belair line, was temporarily closed overnight when the underpass became flooded.

The Seaford and Tonsley lines were also close overnight but were operating as normal by 6am.

The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast a chance of a shower in Adelaide on Friday, ahead of more rain and 15C on Saturday.

Another bout of heavy rain is expected in South Australia next week.