Port Macquarie summer storm, ‘mini cyclone’ damages shops and homes
A popular music festival has been cancelled, emergency crews have been called in from across NSW and people are traumatised after a ferocious ‘mini-cyclone’ lashed the Mid-North Coast.
Mid-North Coast
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A ‘strong microburst’ storm, that some locals described as a tornado, traumatised residents as it tore through a Mid-North Coast town.
It was short-lived but incredibly powerful, with roofs torn off and sent flying down the main street of Port Macquarie on Friday afternoon.
“Somebody could have been decapitated. People who were caught out in it have been really traumatised,” Lavinia Heseltine said on Saturday morning.
She lives in a block of apartments on the town green looking over the Hastings River where a huge fig tree was torn apart during the system which hit about 3pm.
Emergency crews were there on Saturday morning cleaning up and chopping huge branches into piles.
“It was all white – we couldn’t see or hear anything.
“Then I said to my husband I think that’s fresh wood,” she said as she watched the clean up.
Her husband Barry Heseltine described what he saw as a tornado.
By morning, the NSW SES had received almost 200 calls for help, with crews from Port Stephens up to Coffs Harbour responding to the emergency.
About 11,000 businesses and homes near the city centre lost power.
Essential Energy was able to restore power to 5400 customers on Friday, with about 5800 left without power going into Saturday.
About 1400 homes and businesses were still without power on Saturday morning.
“Unfortunately, we can’t say exactly when it will be back on just yet, but we will provide updates as work is completed and we understand the full extent of damage in some areas,” the service wrote on Facebook.
“The wind brought down trees across lines, crossarms and power poles.
“Specialised equipment is being used in some areas alongside our vegetation teams who are removing trees from powerlines.”
Reece Collins, from Kempsey SES, was helping to remove an apartment block roof, left hanging dangerously after the storm.
He has been in the SES for 14 years and says he has never seen anything like it.
“It was very extreme for a 30-minute storm to do this much damage.”
At the Mid Pacific Motel, Ian Buckenarl was placing tape around the motel sign dangling in the main street.
He said tiles blown off roofs from 60m down the street were showering the motel’s upper verandahs.
Erin Schneider was inside working at the reception desk at the time and captured the terrifying experience on video.
“We were s----ing our pants to be honest.”
She and another staff member, with the help of guests, struggled to hold the doors closed.
“Thinking about it now we probably should have stepped back but you just do what you do.”
A Bureau of Meteorology spokesman described the weather event was a “strong microburst”.
Council makes plea to ‘stay away’
After the storm hit, the local council was urging people to stay away from the town centre to allow emergency services to respond to the damage.
The storm hit the tourist town of Port Macquarie about 3pm on Friday with strong winds and driving rain.
Huge trees in the CBD have been uprooted ripping up road surfaces and roofs have been blown apart.
About 4.30pm, Port Macquarie Hastings Council posted a message warning residents to avoid the town centre.
“While the scenes are dramatic and tragic, and many want to help, please, please stay away from the Port Macquarie CBD and other damaged sites,” it read.
“We’re closing or partially closing roads as needed for safety and to allow emergency services to do their work.”
The NSW SES described it as a mini cyclone with winds up to 120km/h.
Several events planned for Saturday including Red Hot Summer – featuring Paul Kelly, Bernard Fanning and Missy Higgins — have been postponed.
“Due to damage sustained in the storm ... the Red Hot Summer Tour at Westport Park, Port Macquarie, will not proceed,” concert organisers announced via Facebook.
“Severe damage was caused to staging, production and site infrastructure, leaving promoters with no alternative other than to cancel the event.
“The site has now been deemed unsafe to proceed.”
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