HUGE STORM LEAVES TRAIL OF DAMAGE IN AUSTRALIA

[tropicana]

Huge storm leaves trail of damage
By Jamie Berry, Andrea Petrie
December 4, 2003

A once-in-a-lifetime storm that hit Melbourne early Wednesday has left a multimillion-dollar trail of devastation, with hundreds of homes, shops, schools and other properties sustaining serious flood damage.

Large areas of the city's north and east were under water after a spectacular electrical storm dumped more than 100 millimetres of rain - almost twice the entire December average - in just two hours.

Emergency services were overwhelmed with calls for help from people who woke in the middle of the night to find their homes awash and from motorists left stranded by floodwaters blocking major roads and freeways.

Among the worst-hit areas were Coburg, Northcote, Fitzroy and Fairfield in the city's inner north, and Doncaster in the east, where 107 millimetres of rain was recorded.

"In terms of the amount of rain that fell in a very short period of time, it's a one-in-a-100-year type of event," the Bureau of Meteorology's Jon Gill said. "For some people it's certainly the worst they are likely to experience in their lifetime."

The Metropolitan Fire Brigade used boats to rescue motorists stranded on the Eastern Freeway at the Bulleen Road bridge, where water covering the road was more than a metre deep at 2.30am. "I could never image the fire brigade taking boats down the middle of the Eastern Freeway," rescue crew leader Joff Spencer said.

Emergency workers were forced to use alternative methods to send help during the storm because it hit during an operation to upgrade a computer dispatch system. Old-fashioned whiteboards had to be used to locate crews and many were dispatched via mobile phone.

There were no fatalities, but a taxi driver was dramatically rescued by SES volunteers in Lower Templestowe. Gary Rothschild was speaking by phone to his distressed girlfriend about her flooded house when he became trapped in his car as floodwaters raged around him. SES workers smashed the car windows to drag Mr Rothschild to safety.

In other incidents, a four-month-old baby in Northcote was saved by his parents as rising flood waters lapped the edge of his cot at the height of Wednesday morning's storm.

And the Collingwood Football Club said floodwaters had damaged photographs, documents and other memorabilia held at McHale Stadium at Victoria Park. Experts advised the club that most of the items could be restored.

As property owners assessed the damage Wednesday, the State Government announced that storm victims would be eligible for emergency grants of up to $7300 to help them return to their homes or businesses.

Premier Steve Bracks said grants of $900 would be available immediately to victims, while personal hardship grants of up to $7300 would be provided to those who had suffered significant damage or had been forced out of their homes.

The Insurance Disaster Response Organisation said the deluge caused tens of millions of dollars' damage to homes, cars and businesses. The state's largest insurer, RACV, said it had received a record number of calls for help.

In Fairfield, a 32-year-old woman and a 39-year-old man were arrested about 3.45am after allegedly looting damaged shops in Station Street. The pair were later released but were expected to be charged on summons.

the president of the Fairfield Traders Association, Domenic Biviano, said it was "disgusting" that looters would take advantage of flood victims.

Emergency Communications Victoria, which dispatches police, fire, ambulance and the SES, was doing a "routine upgrade" of computers at its Melbourne and Burwood dispatch centres when the storm hit. It proceeded with the upgrade after the Bureau of Meteorology downgraded an earlier severe storm warning.

Metropolitan Fire Brigade deputy chief fire officer Keith Adamson said an investigation would be launched into the why it went ahead during such conditions.

But ECV spokeswoman Sandra McLaren denied the upgrade affected emergency responses. "Manual mode is just a different way of processing the call," she said.

The highest rainfall of 108 millimetres was recorded at Viewbank, followed by 107 millimetres at Merri Creek and Doncaster. Melbourne's central business district recorded 38 millimetres, but only light falls were recorded in the city's main water catchment areas.

-justin-

[ColdFront77]

I read this on the "Fox News Channel Ticker," Tuesday evening. It said that it was Melbourne, Australia's "worst thunderstorm [ever]."

There wasn't too much visual coverage of the event.

[tropicana]

THU DEC 4th 2003

Storms black out NSW homes

Some 2,500 homes on the central coast hinterland of New South Wales are still without power after three separate storm cells hit Sydney and the central coast Thursday afternoon.

The State Emergncy Service received 150 calls for help, mainly from Lindfield in Sydney's north and Valentine, south of Newcastle, where four houses lost roofs.

One block of units in Cardiff in southern Newcastle also lost its roof, with the Department of Community Services called in to provide alternative accommodation for residents.

Energy Australia says they expect most customers will have power restored this evening.
-justin-

[tropicana]

Melbourne storm toll $86m

Dec 8th 2003


The freak storm which hit Melbourne this past week caused an estimated $A75 million ($86.34 million) in damage.

An Insurance Council of Australia spokeswoman said it had received about 25,000 claims from residents and businesses affected by Wednesday's storm, which dumped more than 100mm of rain across Melbourne's north and east in just two hours

-justin-

[ColdFront77]

I read this on the "Fox News Channel Ticker," Tuesday evening. It said that it was Melbourne, Australia's "worst thunderstorm [ever]."

There wasn't too much visual coverage of the event.

A side mention to this... Fox News had "worst hurricane ever to hit Melbourne, Australia" instead of the "worst thunderstorm ever to hit Melbourne, Australia" at first.