Storm leaves SA without power, heads to NSW, Victoria, Tasmania
About 30,000 homes remain without power as a destructive storm, with 140km/h winds, lashes the state.
Already battered, bruised and blacked out, South Australia has copped another belting with a destructive storm lashing the state, AAP writes.
The intense low pressure system raged across Adelaide and parts of South Australia late on Thursday, 24 hours after super cell thunderstorms knocked out the state’s entire power network.
It was packing winds of up to 140km/h, among the strongest the city has experienced, prompting an unprecedented warning from police for workers to head home early and stay home amid concerns emergency services might not be able to cope.
The winds brought down trees across a wide area, causing major damage, and ripped some mid-north buildings apart.
Heavy rain caused widespread flooding, from the Patawalonga River in Adelaide, through to the Barossa and Clare valleys, which copped 54mm of rain. In Clare, a caravan park was under threat and in the Barossa, a dam burst, prompting an emergency flood warning for the town of Greenock. Storm surges and huge waves also inundated some communities along the Spencer and St Vincent gulf coasts with the worst centres affected including Port Pirie, Port Broughton and Moonta.
By late on Thursday, 30,000 properties remained without power, some because of Wednesday’s statewide blackout and others as a result of new damage caused by the continued wild weather.
The State Emergency Service has responded to more than 660 calls for help, taking the tally to well over 1000 in the past 36 hours.
Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said extra police could be brought in from interstate to help cope with the crisis.
SES chief officer Chris Beattie warned the service was at risk of being stretched beyond capacity.
The latest emergency came after Wednesday’s blackout when ferocious winds ripped up more than 20 transmission towers in the mid-north, taking out three of the state’s four major transmission lines.
Premier Jay Weatherill described the storm as “catastrophic” and said it had involved weather events not seen before in SA, “such as twin tornadoes, which ripped through the northern parts of our state”.
Transmission company ElectraNet said most services had been restored and it hoped to have one of the transmission lines repaired by Sunday, using temporary towers from interstate.
The company also backed assertions from the premier that no energy system in the world could have survived such an event without going down.
There’s been no estimate of the economic cost of the blackout but major companies, including BHP Billiton and steel producer Arrium, have already warned of losses.
Arrium administrator Mark Mentha said the Whyalla steelworks was maintaining some critical operations with a generator but they did not have enough electricity for steelmaking operations, with production halted. Small businesses across the state were also expected to be hard hit as the state government announced $700 for individuals to cover immediate expenses. On the bright side, police said there had been no issues with looting during the blackout and no serious storm-related injuries.
Hospital’s back-up power fails
Back-up generators at an Adelaide hospital failed during South Australia’s widespread power outage, forcing 17 patients to be transferred to another hospital.
Some needed help breathing with manual respirators as they were taken from Flinders Medical Centre to Flinders Private Hospital on Wednesday night, health officials have revealed.
The back-up power failure was caused by a broken fuel pump despite the system being tested earlier in the week.
“We did have generator power for about an hour, at which point the generators stopped,” SA Health acting chief executive Vicki Kaminski told reporters on Thursday.
Life-supporting machines reverted to battery power when the generators cut out. Ms Kaminski was adamant no lives were at risk both at the hospital and during the patient transfer.
“All of the lifesaving equipment is on battery back-up and has many hours of battery,” she said.
She said the fuel pump issue could not have been predicted and was discovered and repaired quickly.
The Royal Adelaide Hospital’s generator system functioned properly during the statewide blackout.
Power has returned to medical centres in Adelaide but some country hospitals are still running on generators.
Elective surgeries scheduled on Thursday have been postponed at some hospitals across the state as demand on health services remains high.
Dam break threatens SA town
A dam has burst in the Barossa Valley, north of Adelaide, posing a flood risk for the town of Greenock. The State Emergency Service says locals are being urged to keep a watch for any rising water and follow their emergency plans.
Video below shows burst dam in Greenock. Credit: Twitter/@MadeleineDunne
Murky water pouring from a burst dam in Greenock (featuring a fluro cameo from @martinopaul7) @7NewsAdelaide #AdelaideStorm pic.twitter.com/NKKzL98RGD
— Madeleine Dunne (@MadeleineDunne) September 29, 2016
Regardless of your type of car. Do Not Attempt to Drive Through Floodwater. https://t.co/C1ViLWa2oM
— SA SES (@SA_SES) September 29, 2016
Power problems persist in SA
Up to 90,000 of those were still waiting to be reconnected after Wednesday’s statewide blackout, with consumers in the state’s north and on the Eyre Peninsula the last to have services restored.
But another 10,000 consumers lost supply on Thursday as destructive winds caused more damage.
The ongoing power supply problems have sparked calls for an independent inquiry with Senator Nick Xenophon urging the Australian Energy Market Commission to carry out a robust independent analysis. Malcolm Turnbull described the blackout as a “wake-up call” to focus on energy security.
NSW next in line
NSW is set to be hit by the same storm cell which has wreaked havoc in South Australia.
The weather bureau says thousands of residents in southern and central NSW should brace for severe weather, with winds of up to 110km/h and possible flash flooding forecast for Thursday.
The ferocious mega-storm caused catastrophic damage to parts of South Australia on Wednesday and about 75,000 people are still without power after the wild weather caused a statewide power outage.
“A vigorous low pressure system and associated cold front will move through NSW today,” the Bureau of Meteorology said.
The system will move through inland regions before passing over the ranges. The Riverina, central and south tablelands and parts of the Hunter, Snowy Mountains and Mid-North Coast regions are all expected to be hit. Towns in flood-beleaguered central NSW are also being told to prepare for potential flash flooding.
The central west community of Forbes is expected to be inundated by a second peak of the Lachlan River at the same time the town’s weekend floodwaters reach downstream Condobolin.
The SES predicts the high waters marks will occur sometime next week, with 30mm of rain expected on Thursday and up to 20mm on Friday.
At least 50,000 sandbags have been transported into the towns from Maitland in the Hunter Valley and extra crews have been brought in from around the state. About 100 properties remain subject to an evacuation order while sittings at courthouses in Forbes, Condobolin and Lake Cargelligo have been cancelled for next week.
The SES is calling on those going to the Deni Ute Muster or travelling inland to check for potential road closures.
Kangaroo Island storm proves risk
Over the past 24 hours cyclonic storm cells have passed over Kangaroo Island and the Great Australian Bight before hitting the mainland and wreaking havoc with electricity infrastructure.
Power to the island was cut with the rest of the state when the damage to the infrastructure triggered a state wide shut down of power, but the island’s residents were more prepared than most.
Kangaroo Island’s Mayor Peter Clements told The Australian the storm highlighted the significant risk to The Bight if BP is given permission to drill the area to look for gas and oil.
“We have massive diesel generators that turned on to create electricity as we are connected to the mainland grid through undersea cables,” he said. “I’m more concerned about the fact that here we are, on the eve of the decision by NOPSEMA to allow BP to drill in The Bight.
“If that drilling rig was out there right now, it would have been catastrophic. We are more frightened about that than any weather event.”
Victoria storms less destructive
A severe weather warning is in place for the Victoria’s northwest and northeast for damaging winds and heavy rainfall on Thursday.
However, the Bureau of Meteorology says conditions will be nothing like the ferocious thunderstorms that thrashed Adelaide on Wednesday. “The heaviest rain in the east should clear by about midday and then we should see scattered showers and some smaller thunderstorms around Victoria,” senior forecaster Stephen King said today.
“We might see some winds up to 90km/h in the Mallee this afternoon as well.” Strong winds associated with the South Australian system battered alpine areas of Victoria overnight but there were only minor reports of damage. Gusts peaked at 145km/h at Mount Hotham while rainfall gauges nearby collected about 50 millimetres of rain.
The northeast can expect another 20mm on Thursday.
Melbourne and much of the central district was spared which was “on the cards all along,” Mr King said. A warning for heavy rain and possible flash flooding remains in place for the northeast of the state but the threat is expected to subside by late Thursday morning.
SA faces more wild weather
The South Australian Emergency Service says two storm cells are likely to hit the state today, with gusts of up to 100km per hour which could cause significant damage, uproot trees and lead to flooding.
Deputy chief officer Dermot Barry said there would be a front developing by mid morning, and a second front by about 5pm, brings up to 100mm of rain and strong winds.
“As we know the catchments are wet and there’s a lot of rain coming, we’ve also got a lot of rain and we’re going to get trees down and the combination of the two things can set up some fairly dangerous conditions,” Mr Barry said.
A flood warning has been issued to the metropolitan area and the Adelaide Hills, which are saturated after heavy rains two weeks ago. He said the state’s West Coast, including Port Lincoln and Ceduna, had been hit hard, with damage to houses, roofs ripped off and to farm machinery at Cleve, Blyth and other towns.
More than 70,000 homes remain without power in the state’s north and west, after a blackout shut down the state just before 4pm yesterday.
The SES has responded to more than 900 calls for help across the state, and 40 Western Australian emergency service officers have travelled to Adelaide to help.
Some schools in the state’s north and the Adelaide Hills will be closed today because they do not have power, and an education department spokesperson said many would also operate on restricted programs.
Trains and trams have returned to full operations after being shut down at 5pm yesterday.
South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill says the statewide blackout had nothing to do with the state’s reliance on renewable energy, and has compared the shutdown to a similar event in New York. Read the full story here.
Tens of thousands of homes without power
More than 70,000 homes remain without power as severe storms continue to lash South Australia.
The state remains on flood watch as strong to gale force cause further damage, after homes were damaged, roofs in towns including Blyth, 140km north of Adelaide, were ripped off and farm machinery damaged.
The entire state was plunged into darkness on Wednesday afternoon after lightning strikes struck transmission lines, causing the Victorian interconnector to shut down.
@SAWaterCorp warning individual pumping stations could have sewerage overflows as a result of storm 😳sewerage coming out of manholes
— Rebecca Puddy (@RebeccaPuddy) September 28, 2016
Premier Jay Weatherill said more than 22 transmission towers were damaged in the storm, with power restored to thousands of homes late last night and early this morning.
“I’ve been in contact with the head of the Australian Energy Market Operator and he said to me that any system couldn’t cope with a weather event of this sort,” Mr Weatherill said.
“We had winds which were so strong that when they hit power lines they were creating such energy they were tearing their towers out of the ground.”
Looking less like catastrophic infrastructure damage and more like a giant steel cow grazing in a field. #AdelaideStorm pic.twitter.com/xdn6PlaMJd
— Alistair Lloyd (@mr_al) September 28, 2016
Homes in the state’s north and in Mount Gambier remain in the dark.
The Premier said all schools would be open today, despite many in the state’s north being without power.
The public transport system was plunged into chaos as trains and trams were shut down just after 5pm yesterday, with level crossing boom gates stuck in the down position for hours. Traffic was also gridlocked across the city as lights stopped operating.
A Transport SA spokeswoman said trains and tram services were back in operation this morning, but likely to be running behind schedule.
Thousands of people were stranded in the city last night, with the Adelaide Town Hall opened to people unable to catch public transport or return home.
Winds in excess of 100km/h have also lashed Victoria after the front moved across the border into Victoria late on Wednesday night, bringing rain and powerful winds.
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Dean Stewart said as the front moved across the state it would bring winds up to 100km/h and heavy rain in parts. “We’ll have some totals of probably 20-40mm, probably even some isolated totals getting up to 50mm in those north east ranges,” he said. A Severe Weather Warning was issued for large parts of the state and flood warnings are in place for the northern regions.
In NSW, the two towns ravaged by recent storms are preparing to be hit by separate flood peaks.
The central west community of Forbes is expected to be inundated by a second peak of the Lachlan River at the same time the town’s weekend floodwaters reach downstream Condobolin.
The SES predicts the high waters marks will occur sometime next week, with 30mm of rain expected on Thursday and up to 20mm on Friday.
At least 50,000 sandbags have been transported into the towns from Maitland in the Hunter Valley and extra crews have been brought in from around the state. About 100 properties remain subject to an evacuation order while sittings at courthouses in Forbes, Condobolin and Lake Cargelligo have been cancelled for next week.
Power gradually returns
Power is gradually returning to South Australia but large areas of the state remain in darkness after the statewide blackout overnight.
By this morning, most of the Adelaide metropolitan area had power restored but the state’s north and the Eyre Peninsula are likely to be without services “for considerably longer than the rest of the state,” emergency services have warned.
And more wild weather is on the way with heavy rain and destructive winds expected to lash the state throughout the day.
An intense lower pressure system will continue to move across SA after super cell thunderstorms brought down the entire power network on Wednesday. The winds ripped at least 22 transmission towers from the ground across the mid-north with about 80,000 lightning strikes hitting the state, some damaging generation facilities.
It caused automatic emergency systems to cut power across South Australia with SA Power Networks reporting 200,000 customers were left without electricity.
The Bureau of Meteorology has warned the wild weather still to come could produce wind gusts of up to 140km/h, especially along the west coast of Eyre Peninsula and up to 100mm of rain across the Adelaide Hills, bringing the risk of flooding.
A flood warning was also issued for Port Pirie, north of Adelaide, because of a storm surge and high waves.
The State Emergency Service responded to more than 450 calls for help on Wednesday and chief officer Chris Beattie said the wild weather would continue for at least another day.
“There’s still the potential for significant severe weather damage,” he said. “We do have concerns for the coastal defences.” The SES has brought in strike teams from Western Australia to bolster local crews.
Storm plunges SA into dark ages
A statewide blackout caused by cyclonic weather has thrown South Australia into chaos, with traffic gridlocked, planes grounded, thousands of city workers stranded and homes without power.
The state last night declared a “code black” — full emergency response — after 80,000 lightning strikes hit the state and gale-force winds took down three transmission lines and at least 22 towers to isolate South Australia from the national grid.
Premier Jay Weatherill said the lighting strikes “tripped the national grid, causing a statewide outage and the interconnector from Victoria to shut down”.
“All of this has combined to bring our system down,” he said.
The Premier said any state would be vulnerable to widespread loss of power given the weather conditions and insisted the system had responded as it was designed to under such circumstances.
“This was a weather event not a renewable energy event ... lightning strikes and wind surges caused this,” he said.
“Right now we are in the middle of it and preparing people for the next episode.”
SES chief officer Chris Beattie said emergency conditions would remain for the next 72 hours. He said there had been 400 calls for assistance in the 24 hours to 6.30pm and only 30 traffic lights were working across metropolitan Adelaide. Police took to social media to advise the state’s 1.7 million residents not to travel unless it was urgent, with traffic light outages and rail crossings blocked by boom gates in emergency mode causing gridlock.
The main Adelaide Metro station was closed, leaving commuters stranded. Fire alarms blared throughout the city as the power failed. In the city, 19 people had to be rescued from lifts, while at Adelaide airport outgoing flights were grounded and only one of two back-up generators was working.
Wind turbines were shut down as gusts reached 113km/h, a level deemed too dangerous for them to operate. However, once the power was cut, the turbines would not have been able to operate in any case. The Bureau of Meteorology warned the worst of the storm was yet to come, with winds of 140km/h expected overnight.
Federal Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg said it appeared the severe weather had “impacted upon the interconnector” with Victoria, upon which South Australia relies for its baseload electricity supply.
“This has had a flow-on effect,” Mr Frydenberg told Sky News.
“Clearly questions will be raised — serious questions will be raised that need to be answered as to how this extreme weather event could take out the whole of the electricity supply across a major state such as South Australia. I’ll be asking all of those very hard questions and no doubt my South Australian colleagues will as well because we cannot see a repeat of these events.”
The failure of the entire South Australian network at 3.48pm reignited debate about the South Australian Labor government’s pursuit of renewable energy, which led to the permanent closure earlier this year of the state’s only coal-fired baseload power station in Port Augusta.
Thoughts with everyone going through the rough ride in South Australia. Hang tight @SenatorWong #AdelaideStorm
— Bill Shorten (@billshortenmp) September 28, 2016
Mr Weatherill said the power system had worked as intended and shut itself down to protect itself because of a sudden surge. He said the state’s energy generation assets remained intact and there did not appear to be any damage to the interconnector with Victoria. He said any state would be vulnerable to widespread loss of power given the weather conditions, with 80,000 lightning strikes recorded.
“This was a weather event, not a renewable energy event ... lightning strikes and wind surges caused this,” he said.
South Australia has a renewable energy mix of more than 40 per cent and relies on a major interconnector with Victoria for most of its baseload power, which has led to several warnings from energy experts and economists that the state is vulnerable to a statewide blackout. This is despite former Labor premier Mike Rann pledging in 2002 to “fix our electricity system and (build) an interconnector to NSW”.
South Australian independent senator Nick Xenophon said heads would now roll, adding that the blackout was a “disgrace”. He said he understood that mobile phone towers might be down for 11 or 12 hours, leaving people unable to communicate. “This is unprecedented in this nation. There needs to be an independent inquiry,” he said.
He added that the state’s energy arrangements were a “textbook case” of how not to move to renewable energy. The Australian Energy Market Operator yesterday took over the state’s network, ordering a gas-fired power generator at Pelican Point to fire up to help get the system back online. ElectraNet, which operates the South Australian high-voltage electricity transmission network, restored supply on parts of its transmission network last night but warned customers in the Mid-North and Eyre Peninsula regions to expect to be without power into today. Australian Industry Group head Innes Willox said there would be a huge cost to business.
“Whatever the cause of the statewide outage it has exposed that South Australia no longer has a plan B for electricity,” he said. “The result has been potentially catastrophic for business.”
SA Power Networks last night told customers to stop calling to report their power was out. Spokesman Paul Roberts said there was an unknown amount of damage to the state’s electricity network. An AEMO spokesman said the operator was working with ElectraNet to restart the power supply.
Additional reporting: Verity Edwards, Rachel Baxendale, Meredith Booth, AAP
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