‘Gives everyone a bit more hope': NSW grateful for wild weather reprieve but many face damage worth thousands
A 'vigorous coastal low' wreaked havoc on Australia's east coast this week, drenching catchments, leaving thousands without power, causing flight cancellations and fuelling dangerous ocean swells with waves as high as 13 metres.
As the weather eased, State Emergency Service crews – which had responded to more than 4,000 incidents by Thursday – were assessing the damage and helping people recover.
'Our SES volunteers, who are doing a remarkable job, are out actually helping to repair and make safe roofs and windows and also cutting down trees to make properties and roads accessible to everybody,' said the deputy commissioner Debbie Platz.
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About 3,900 customers remained without power at 2pm on Thursday, according to network operators Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy and Essential Energy, down from a peak of 37,000 on Wednesday.
In Burrill Lake on the NSW south coast, Rian Gough was still waiting for the lights to come back on at her cafe, Rosie Oats, after most of the village lost electricity on Tuesday night.
'There is blue sky and the sun is shining, so it kind of gives everyone a bit more hope,' said Gough, who estimated the outage had cost her thousands of dollars in lost income and produce.
'I'm just literally throwing everything into the bin and taking it up to the tip, and hoping that the power comes on today so I can maybe open tomorrow and sell some coffees,' she said.
On Thursday afternoon, Long Jetty Family Takeaway on the Central Coast was also waiting for the power to come back on. At the peak of the storm on Tuesday, strong winds tore off part of the roof and the business lost power.
'We can't do anything until the power is back,' said the co-owner Pauline Ureta.
As the cleanup continued, the Environment Protection Authority advised people to avoid contact with waterways affected by heavy rain or flooding, particularly where there were signs of pollution such as discoloured water, unusual smells or debris on the surface.
'These events can wash pollutants such as litter, animal waste, green waste and oils into stormwater drains and then into rivers and beaches,' an EPA spokesperson said.
'Community members are encouraged to follow advice from local councils and the Beachwatch website, particularly during the upcoming school holiday period. These updates may include closures of specific waterways due to health and safety concerns.'
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Insurers have received fewer than 1,400 claims, according to a spokesperson for the Insurance Council of Australia, who said the weather event was 'thankfully not as severe as it could have been'.
For affected residents and businesses starting the cleanup, the council encouraged people to prioritise safety, document any damage and speak to their insurer.
'Where water damage is evident, a qualified electrician should inspect the property before the electricity can be turned back on. It's also important not to drive cars that have received water damage,' the spokesperson said.
Dry and mostly sunny conditions were expected for NSW on Friday, according to the Bureau of Meteorology, although hazardous surf and the potential for riverine flooding would continue.
Boaters were urged to keep off the water over coming days, as dangerous swells, strong winds and debris continued to create hazardous conditions. People travelling on the roads or public transport were still advised to check conditions and allow extra travel time, according to Transport for NSW.
Wamberal resident Mark Lamont, from the Save Our Sand community group, said the beach was in remarkably good shape – except for the very south end – after the storm dumped massive amounts of sand.
'It's sunny here this morning at Wamberal, people are walking their dogs, and the beach is buff – just full of sand.'
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