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NSW wakes to hailstorm havoc as Insurance Council declares damage a ‘catastrophe’

NSW residents are waking to extensive damage, with $20 million expected in claims, after the state was lashed by the worst storm in 20 years.

Megan Palin, Phoebe Loomes and AAP
3 min read
December 22, 2018 - 10:42AM
Sydney gets smashed with destructive hailstorm

Residents are waking up to inspect the damage caused by the worst hailstorm in almost 20 years.

The “catastrophic” storm saw hail smash windows and batter roofs across Sydney and beyond.

Multiple storm fronts converged on the Hunter Valley, Wollongong and Sydney on Thursday afternoon, prompting a severe weather warning from the Bureau of Meteorology.

The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) declared the incident a “catastrophe” and reported the industry had already received 25,000 claims worth $125 million. This figure was expected to rise rapidly.

Residents of NSW have not experienced a hailstorm of this severity in decades. A 1999 hailstorm triggered similar payouts of $1.7 billion after the city was hit with enormous hailstones.

The SES has received more than 3600 calls since 3pm yesterday and has responded to more than 2100 individual requests for assistance.

The destruction spread far and wide across NSW, with Berowra Heights, Liverpool, Lithgow and Gosford on the central coast the worst hit areas.

Tamworth was also hit with a super intense storm with cyclonic winds. The SES described the damage as widespread, stressing that cleanup efforts would be difficult this close to Christmas.

Hail the size of tennis balls smashed homes and cars in Sydney’s west while golf ball-sized stones battered the city’s inner suburbs an hour later, at 6pm. The IAC declared the incident a catastrophe at 7.30pm and activated support measures for affected residents.

A massive hailstone is collected in western Sydney. Source: Twitter
A massive hailstone is collected in western Sydney. Source: Twitter
Huge hail stones pile up outside news.com.au offices in Sydney.
Huge hail stones pile up outside news.com.au offices in Sydney.

THOUSANDS WITHOUT POWER

Powerful winds were recorded up to 140km/h, downing trees and telegraph poles. About 50,000 homes are still without power according to the SES.

About 200 electrical hazards were left in the wake of the storm after power lines came down.

Social media was flooded with photos of massive hailstones on the city’s fringes and videos which showed crowds huddled under awnings as city roads were covered by ice.

Reports of “extensive damage” to cars and homes had been received from Sydney’s west to Bondi Beach, ICA spokesman Campbell Fuller told the Daily Telegraph.

“There are likely to be tens of millions of dollars in claims, if not more,” he said. “They have to be huge events with widespread impacts on the community.

“An insurance catastrophe is declared by the Insurance Council when the Insurance Council believes an extraordinary response is required to the extent of the damage.

“We only declare catastrophes several times a year.”

Hailstones hammer through a windshield. Source: Twitter
Hailstones hammer through a windshield. Source: Twitter
Insurance claims are expected to reach $20 million. Source: Twitter
Insurance claims are expected to reach $20 million. Source: Twitter

Windshields had been smashed, roofs damaged and both cars and homes impacted by flash flooding.

“The main issue for the SES is they’ve seen giant hail up to 8cm in diameter. We’ve seen a lot of roof damage, broken skylights, broken windows,” said Phil Schafer, the NSW SES media officer.

“Therefore our crews will be doing a lot of tarping of roofs to prevent furthers leak to to get into homes.”

The SES set up a mobile command to assist its cleanup efforts in Berowra Heights in the Hawesbury area outside Sydney.

The Bureau of Meteorology had yesterday issued a severe thunderstorm warning for heavy rainfall, damaging and locally destructive winds and “large … giant hailstones” for large parts of the state including Sydney, Newcastle, the Hunter Valley, Wollongong and Dubbo.

Hail stones have smashed down on the New South Wales coast, from the Wollongong to Sydney and the Central Coast.
Hail stones have smashed down on the New South Wales coast, from the Wollongong to Sydney and the Central Coast.

A State Emergency Service spokesman said yesterday crews were preparing for a big night.

“We’ve had 200 calls for help so far,” he said at 5.30pm. “That number will increase as the night progresses.”

Two of the three storm cells on a trajectory to the NSW coast were described by the bureau as “very dangerous”.

Large hail stones pile up at Saratoga on the NSW Central Coast.
Large hail stones pile up at Saratoga on the NSW Central Coast.
Hail stones in Wamberal on the NSW Central Coast.
Hail stones in Wamberal on the NSW Central Coast.

As Sydney and NSW mops up from the destruction caused by the storms, Brisbane is preparing for a heatwave. Temperatures are expected to soar to 38 degrees in the Brisbane CBD, with the Western suburbs of the city forecasted to reach 41 degrees.

The Bureau of Meteorology has also forecasted thunderstorms to hit Brisbane in late Friday and Saturday.

Sydney had only just recovered from the torrential rain, damaging wind and hailstones that hit on Saturday afternoon, bringing down trees and taking out hundreds of power lines.

Sydney’s north was hardest hit with parts of the Parramatta and Campbelltown areas and the southern part of the Central Coast also damaged. The SES said they’d received close to 7000 calls for help, mainly for fallen trees and roof damage.

Social media Images An electrical storm has hit Sydney on Wednesday night and flights from Sydney Airport have been suspended after an incoming flight was reportedly hit by lightning.
Social media Images An electrical storm has hit Sydney on Wednesday night and flights from Sydney Airport have been suspended after an incoming flight was reportedly hit by lightning.
An electrical storm hit Sydney on Wednesday night and flights from Sydney Airport were suspended after an incoming flight was reportedly hit by lightning.
An electrical storm hit Sydney on Wednesday night and flights from Sydney Airport were suspended after an incoming flight was reportedly hit by lightning.
Lightning strikes over Sydney.
Lightning strikes over Sydney.

Network operators Endeavour Energy and Ausgrid said more than 750 electrical hazards had to be repaired before supply could be restored to 56,000 homes. The hazards included several snapped poles that left a twisted mess of downed powerlines in many locations — repairing the sites expected to take hundreds of hours of work.

“This was a devastating storm that caused extensive damage to the electricity network,” Endeavour Energy spokesman Peter Payne said on Sunday in a statement.

“Many of our customers in the worst affected areas would not have seen damage like this for years.”

megan.palin@news.com.au | @Megan_Palin

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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/nsw-coast-weather-warning-very-dangerous-destructive-winds-and-giant-hail/news-story/0eb9a907832e9375dab7385d1fbf4b30