~*Kat*~ Totally Addicted
Posts : 2981 Join date : 2009-04-08 Age : 42 Location : Frankston North Victoria
| Subject: NSW storm June 3rd 2010, 8:41 am | |
| http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/1063385/mini-cyclone-strikes-nsw-coast - Quote :
- Several people have been injured after a water spout developed into a mini-cyclone on the northern NSW coast this morning.
Eyewitnesses said the spout turned into a tornado as it approached the town of Lennox Head, south of Byron Bay at around 7.30am this morning, causing major damage.
The tornado destroyed a number of homes and overturned a number of caravans at the Lennox Head Caravan Park, police said. A mother and her daughter were taken to hospital at Ballina after being struck by flying debris while other people have received first aid treatment.
The manager of the Santa Fe Motel, about 250m from the beach, told ninemsn the storm was ferocious.
"This waterspout just came in across from the water and hit the land — it's taken roofs off beachfront houses, all the way from where I am to the caravan park," manager Kevin Sullivan said.
"It turned into a tornado, all the timber and street going about 300m into the air .... it sounded ferocious, like you were standing beside a freight train.
"We were only 40-50m from it. It lifted boats up — taken one that was in a side street and dumped it into another."
Mr Sullivan had to end the phone call because a lightning storm was still overhead.
Emergency services have set up an evacuation centre at the Lennox Head Sports and Recreation Centre providing temporary accommodation.
"As I look out at the ocean you can actually see what I'd describe as mini-tornadoes out to sea," police inspector Shane Dean told the Seven Network.
Resident Andy Brown said the storm "sounded like a jet was coming in to land on our house".
"The spiralling of the material just being ripped out the roofs as you would see in a tornado in America but just on a smaller scale," he told ABC.
"(There were) sheets of roofing spinning into the air and anything else that it can pick up."
It is believed the cyclone is moving inland, with reports of fallen trees in the town of Bangalow.
A popular tourist destination, Lennox Head has a population of aroung 6600.
Heavy rainfall has caused flooding in northern NSW overnight, with a school in Middle Pocket, north of Mullumbimby, forced to close. | |
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kaz901 Fabulous Member
Posts : 819 Join date : 2009-10-06 Location : aussie land
| Subject: Re: NSW storm June 3rd 2010, 9:21 am | |
| they were predicting something similar on Sunday, we didnt get the second alert
weather is so unpredicatable atm, keeps raining and raining and raining - did i say raining, cant wait till we start to dry out again | |
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~*sharon~* Administrator
Posts : 3034 Join date : 2009-06-18 Location : South Coast NSW
| Subject: Re: NSW storm June 3rd 2010, 10:09 am | |
| Raining really heavy here today my back yard is covered in water most rain we have had since we moved here 7 years ago | |
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aprileviesmum Totally Addicted
Posts : 2223 Join date : 2009-04-10 Age : 37 Location : Maitland NSW
| Subject: Re: NSW storm June 3rd 2010, 10:35 am | |
| Heavy rain here today and some lightning but it didn't last very long. | |
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MissMon Administrator
Posts : 6483 Join date : 2009-04-02 Age : 43 Location : Brisbane, Qld, Australia
| Subject: Re: NSW storm June 3rd 2010, 3:27 pm | |
| That is just insane!!!!!! Hope you are all staying safe & continue that way until it is all over | |
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