Residents of Port Macquarie on the NSW Mid North Coast have been blindsided by a freak mini cyclone that ripped through the town.
On Friday afternoon just around 4pm, what started off as a regular hailstorm quickly descended into a cyclone as gusts of wind reached up to 120 kilometres per hour.
The storm tore roofs off houses, brought down power lines and uprooted trees.
Shocking images posted online show the extent of the damage that the storm caused.
The Port Macquarie NSW SES revealed that more than 170 people called them for help “with many properties severely damaged”, adding that “the heart of the CBD (is) severely impacted”.
Around 11,000 businesses and homes near the city centre lost power.
Local power supplier Essential Energy restored electricity to 5400 customers according to their latest public announcement, but a further 5800 are still without power and they have called in extra crews to help.
Both the SES and Essential Energy warned residents to stay at least 10 metres away from fallen power lines to avoid the risk of being electrocuted.
Councillor Danielle Maltman has been providing updates to residents over social media and recommended residents stay out of damaged areas to give emergency workers the space they need to resolve the crisis.
“Frontline SES, Emergency Services & Port Macquarie Hastings Council Staff are out and about doing a stellar job with the clean up,” she wrote.
“We are so thankful for each and every one of them.
“Please assist by staying away from affected areas so they can get in and do their important work making our broader CBD safe.”
It’s the last thing Port Macquarie, with a population of around 90,000, needs.
The town was impacted by the Black Summer bushfires of 2019-2020 and also took a hit during the Covid-19 pandemic because tourism is one of the biggest industries in the area.
Last year, the town was also hit with flash flooding that devastated locals.
“After fires, floods, Covid and now this storm, can we please consider supporting these (local) businesses in the coming weeks,” one resident posted online.
“Please within reason so they aren‘t put under massive strain,” she added.
“Another great idea is to purchase gift vouchers from our local small businesses. That way, they are still making some income, while their premises are repaired.”
One resident said he hadn’t experienced a cyclone for 13 years in Port Macquarie.
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