Shocking damage as storm leaves tens of thousands without power
Some homes and businesses could be without power “into Tuesday and possibly beyond”, SA Power Networks says, with outages from Saturday’s storm hitting more than 163,000 customers.
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SA Power Networks has revealed outages for some homes and businesses could extend beyond Tuesday as it works to repair infrastructure damaged in Saturday’s huge storm, which affected about 163,000 customers.
At 4pm on Sunday, more than 65,000 customers were still without power as SAPN raced to repair the storm damage – but thousands could be forced to wait even longer.
Corporate affairs head Paul Roberts said it was the largest outage event experienced in SA since the state-wide blackout in 2016.
“Rebuilding and repairing the network and restoring power will continue into Tuesday and possibly beyond,” Mr Roberts said.
“We will have some customers without power into Tuesday. As crews get to site and determine when we can reconnect their electricity supply, we will provide them with an SMS update.”
Mr Roberts said SAPN had mobilised all possible resources and had also called in interstate crews to assist.
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Goolwa Road, Currency Creek may remain closed for several days due to flooding damage.
— South Australia Police (@SAPoliceNews) November 13, 2022
The public are reminded to not walk, ride or drive through floodwater and to look out for debris on and damage to the roads after recent storms. pic.twitter.com/PBEQgMCZVq
Essential Energy will supply up to an additional 80 personnel to help rebuild fallen powerlines and poles.
SA recorded more than 423,000 lightning strikes and winds up to 106km/h, with the Adelaide Hills and southern suburbs hit hardest around 4pm.
Until 4pm, just 78 outages were affecting 18,341 customers. On Sunday morning, the figure was about 78,000 customers across wide parts of Adelaide and SA.
In the past 24 hours, the SES received about 1200 calls for assistance, mainly for fallen trees, roof damage and some flooding.
An SES spokesperson said the Adelaide Hills and the southern suburbs were hardest hit, but it hoped to respond to all calls by the end of the day.
Lower Portrush Rd is closed on Sunday morning in both directions between Payneham Rd and Grigg St at Marden after a large tree fell and brought down powerlines across the road.
The Glenelg tram line remains closed between South Terrace and Glenelg due to technical issues caused by a tree falling on power lines. Crews are working to repair the power lines and restore services.
SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE GALLERY
And a man is expected to be fined after he drove through emergency services tape and hit a fallen tree, powerpole and powerlines at Flinders Park early on Sunday.
Police and the SES were called to Findon Rd at Flinders Park after a tree brought down a light pole and powerlines across the road on Saturday.
Two lanes for northbound traffic were closed, with flashing lights and traffic cones blocking off the hazard. As of Sunday morning, one northbound lane remains closed.
But about 4am on Sunday, a 54-year-old man from Seaton drove through the tape and into the tree.
He remained in the car until SA Power Networks could render the powerlines safe, before being safely extracted from the vehicle. He wasn’t injury and police said were likely to be fined.
‘WORSE THAN 2017 BLACKOUT’
SA Power Networks head of corporate affairs Paul Roberts said the damage was “really extensive” and likely to be the most widespread blackout since February 2017, when more than 90,000 households in Adelaide lost power for 45 minutes in the middle of a major heatwave.
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“We had crews working all day on the Eyre Peninsula and Yorke Peninsula into the Mid North …, but that last (storm) cell really hammered through,” Mr Roberts said.
“We’ve called in additional crews and they’ll work through the night, but the reality is they’ll be working for another 24 to 48 hours to repair the damage.”
Heavy rain and thunderstorms caused widespread blackouts across the Adelaide suburban area on Saturday afternoon, including Westfield Marion shopping centre, and forced the cancellation of a music festival headlined by Hilltop Hoods.
At 4pm, SA Power Networks reported 78 outages affecting 18,341 customers, with many not expected to have electricity restored until 9pm.
By 5.30pm, this had risen to 129 outages affecting 75,188 customers.
A “mini-cyclone” was reported to have hit the Adelaide Hills, knocked down major trees across roads and caused damage to houses.
Kristen Stevens, 33, and her partner were visiting a family member on Saturday afternoon when she got the call telling her a big tree had been uprooted in front of her Glengowrie unit.
Ms Stevens rushed home to her quiet cul-de-sac and was stunned to find a 30m high tree had toppled directly onto a neighbour’s van – narrowly missing her Volkswagen car.
“I was pretty shocked – I didn’t think it was going to be anywhere near as bad as it is,” said Ms Stevens, who is due to give birth on Monday.
“The neighbour’s car is almost cut in half. It’s completely written off.
“I’ve never seen a storm like it, it’s definitely the worst storm I’ve experienced.”
The neighbour who owns the destroyed van wasn’t home to see the damage, Ms Stevens said.
Ms Stevens’ car had a few scratches but otherwise escaped unscathed.
“Given I’m pregnant I was a bit worried but it’s drivable. I’m just glad everyone is safe,” she said.
This is some of the wildest rain I’ve seen in Adelaide for some time 😬 â˜”ï¸ pic.twitter.com/eYkSXZxkys
— Mikey Nicholson (@Mikey_Nicholson) November 12, 2022
Please stay safe and drive to conditions on our roads tonight.
— SA Infrastructure & Transport (@DFIT_SA) November 12, 2022
This uprooted tree on Brighton Rd, Glenelg was 1 of many trees and branches cut down across Adelaide's road network by this afternoon's storm.
There have also been reports of fallen powerlines and water over roads. pic.twitter.com/c9BkTyJSrH
One Hills resident said the storm was “like a scythe that’s just ripped through these trees” and described houses with metal roofs flapping loose in the wind.
A tree was blocking the Belair rail line near Coromandel Valley, a large gum tree was blocking Main Road at Blackwood and another had fallen outside the Duck Inn at Coromandel Valley.
Residents were also trying to clear fallen branches and trees from other roads including Light Rd, Patricia St and McNamara Rd.
A woman was hit by a falling tree at Ranelagh St in the city at about 4pm.
SA ambulance and MFS officers attended the scene and helped remove the woman from under the fallen branches. She was taken to Royal Adelaide Hospital with several broken bones but remains in a stable condition.
By 5.30pm, the SES had recorded 347 incidents of which 240 were still active, including fallen trees throughout the Adelaide Hills and flooding which stretched from Craigmore to Morphett Vale, and further south at Port Elliot and Encounter Bay.
The deteriorating weather also forced the cancellation of the Hand-picked music festival, featuring Hilltop Hoods, at Lake Breeze Wines in Langhorne Creek at about 4pm.
”Unfortunately the weather has turned for the worse for much longer than we anticipated,” organisers wrote on social media.
”We have the best interest of safety to all patrons, crew and artists. Therefore we have decided to cancel Hand-picked today.”
Organisers have promised a full refund for all impacted ticketholders.
Around 4pm water started coming through a small section of the Northfield Target’s and staff watched in horror the leak spread to 20m long, drenching clothing, toys and Christmas items.
Customers helped staff move racks and items out of the torrent and the store was closed, as the neighbouring Foodland also started to leak, while outside the car park and parts of Main North Rd had flooded.
Lightning strikes forced a delay to the first bounce of the Crows AFLW semi-final clash amid wild weather and severe storm warnings.
The start of the Crows v Collingwood blockbuster was earlier delayed for 30 minutes after lightning strikes took players and officials off the Oval.
.@BOM_SA issued a severe thunderstorm warning - Adelaide Region for DAMAGING WINDS & HEAVY RAINFALL for Onkaparinga, Yankalilla, Victor Harbor, Gawler, Adelaide, Western Alexandrina, Playford & parts of Barossa, Mount Barker & Adelaide Hills council areashttps://t.co/plvmLQkJLLpic.twitter.com/beHWIIh680
— SASES (@SA_SES) November 12, 2022
A Crows spokeswoman confirmed if further lightning strikes occur within 10km of the ground, the Crows v Collingwood final could again be postponed.
In the past 24 hours, South Australia has experienced around 143,000 lightning strikes.
The lightning is likely the result of the storm system coming from the coast of the Eyre Peninsula.
The Bureau of Meteorology said the wet weather was forecast to continue well into the weekend with a possibility of more storms, thunderstorms and showers, with perhaps some reprieve Sunday morning, before showers again in the afternoon.
A storm system near the coast of the Eyre Peninsula moved east across the state, reaching Adelaide at midday Saturday.
Port Lincoln recorded 35mm of rainfall in two hours earlier on Saturday.
BOM spokesperson, Simon Tincke, said the Eastern districts may experience 30mm to 60mm of rain over the weekend, particularly in the Riverland.
On Sunday, rain is set to continue to pour in Adelaide with 6mm to 10mm of rain and a maximum temperature of 23 degrees forecast.
Easterly winds of 20 to 30km/h will increase to 35km/h in Adelaide before turning north to north-easterly 15 to 20km/h during the afternoon and evening.
The Adelaide Polo Classic was forced to cancel their events, while the Christmas Pageant managed to narrowly escape the downpour.
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Originally published as Shocking damage as storm leaves tens of thousands without power
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