Thousands of homes without power after storms rip through the northern beaches
A large swathe of the northern beaches has been left without power after gusts reaching 85km/h ripped through the peninsula, sending trees crashing into homes and cars.
Manly
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Up to 10,000 homes on the northern beaches are without power after a wild thunderstorm unleashed gusts of up to 85km/h.
Trees fell across the peninsula, smashing into at least two homes in Belrose and squashing cars and other vehicles, after the swift but fierce weather came through at around 1pm.
One man had to be rescued by firefighters after he was trapped in his vehicle in Davidson by fallen powerlines, while a family is waiting to find out whether they can return to their home in Belrose home tonight after a tree crashed through into a bedroom.
Meanwhile, residents in Andrew St in Davidson were earlier being advised by police to stay indoors for their own safety over concerns that the stretched powerlines could snap causing injury to the public.
Ausgrid said the northern beaches was one of the worst affected areas following the storm.
A spokesman confirmed Allambie Heights, North Manly, Manly Vale, Beacon Hill, Forestville, Frenchs Forest, Davidson, Belrose, Oxford Falls, Elanora Heights, North Narrabeen, Warriewood, Duffys Forest and Ingleside all lost power.
He said 52,000 homes were without power across the whole network with Sydney’s north hardest hit.
He estimated up to 10,000 homes could have suffered outages on the beaches, with Frenchs Forest and Allambie Heights, along with North Narrabeen, bearing the brunt of the wild weather.
“We are seeing a lot of pictures come through and have seen quite large trees snapped in two,” the spokesman said.
“The north has been hardest hit across our network.
“At the moment we have emergency crews responding to 780 hazards.
“Some areas could see extended outages.”
The spokesman also warned residents to stay at least eight metres away from any fallen power lines.
The storm also damaged property and vehicles.
Rachael Jackson, 41, of Brogla Pl, Belrose, said she was outside at the rear of the house taking a video of the storm. When she went inside she realised a treee had crashed through the roof of the front of her house and into her and her son’s bedroom.
“The thunder had been so loud I had not heard the tree hit the house,” she said.
“The whole of the front is crushed.”
Ms Jackson said luckily her son Isaac, 11, who has special needs was with his carer in Dee Why and her two daughters Leah, 14, and Madeline, 13, were at school.
“The storm only lasted seconds and then catastrophe,” Ms Jackson, a tenant said.
“The tree has gone through into the bedroom and there’s glass everywhere.
“We are waiting to find out whether we can return tonight.”
A home in Blackbutts Ave in Belrose was also hit by a tree.
The house belongs to an elderly couple who had lived there for 50 years.
The man aged 83, was too emotional to talk.
His wife Helen Lawson told 7News that it was “devastating”.
The owner of a destroyed caravan in Arnhem Road, Lyndall Hornbrook, said she was shocked when she returned home and saw the massive damage.
“I had been down Warringah Mall for awhile,” Ms Hornbrook said.
“I heard the crack of the thunder down there, but I didn’t realise how bad the storm was.
“When I got home I saw the street was blocked off and then I saw the big gum tree in our front yard had squashed the caravan.”
The roots of the tree also damaged a gas pipe.
Emergency crews were quickly at the scene to restore gas.
The Manly Daily also spoke to Mark and Natalie Gauci who were busy working to remove the remains of a giant liquid amber tree from their property.
“We were so lucky it didn’t hit the house,” Mr Gauci said.
