Wild storm wreaks havoc
Adrian and Brayden Cassidy helping clean up the damage to their rental property on East Minstone Rd which had its roof ripped off in the storm on Sunday night.
September 4, 2024
By Rachel Williams
Hundreds of people remain without power and many are facing significant clean up tasks after winds up to 160km/h hit the region during one of the worst storm events on record.
Two visitors are lucky to be alive after a tree crushed their caravan at Bridport Caravan Park on Sunday night while a family of four in Scottsdale had their roof blown off while they were sleeping.
Unprecedented power outages have occurred, with some areas having been without power since Friday, August 30, with an estimated 4300 homes affected around Dorset at the height of the event.
TasNetworks has indicated that outages could continue for multiple days as crews work to move fallen trees from lines and reconnect homes and businesses.
As we go to print, many areas face no confirmed restoration times.
Gladstone and Musselroe Bay residents appear to have the longest wait ahead. TasNetworks estimates 115 customers could still be affected by Thursday afternoon.
There were 647 customers still without power in Bellingham, Bridport, Golconda, Lebrina, Lulworth, Pipers Brook, Pipers River, Retreat and Weymouth – they’d been told to check after Tuesday evening.
The same went for 438 customers in Bangor, Golconda, Karoola, Lalla, Lebrina, Lilydale, Lower Turners Marsh, Nabowla, North Lilydale, Nunamara, Pipers River, Retreat, Tunnel, Turners Marsh, Underwood and Wyena
“Long delays” were expected for more than 200 customers in Banca, Derby and Winnaleah as well as the dozens without power in Nunamara and Patersonia.
A small number were expected to be back Wednesday morning in Branxholm, Derby, Legerwood, Ringarooma, Talawa and Tulendeena.
People are being urged to remain vigilant in the coming days and there are fears for animal welfare too, with some dairies unable to milk for several days without power or access to a generator.
Scottsdale’s Adrian Cassidy is relieved that tenants of his East Minestone
Rd rental property are safe after the
roof was ripped from the home on Sunday night.
“It started to get really windy at about 9pm and about 11pm they rang to say the roof has gone,” he said.
“The plaster came in on them when they were in bed. Thankfully they are fine but obviously the house is unliveable.
“We were up here in the ute to help them and the wind was that strong it was sliding the ute sidewards on the grass – it was howling.
“Part of the veranda was blown 200m away down the hill.”
Mr Cassidy believes the damage bill will be around $150,000-$200,000.
“Because the roof came off and we had such a typhoon rain event, water has got inside everywhere – but it was far too dangerous to attempt putting a tarp over it because someone would have really got hurt.
“I have seen three big wind events in my life and this was up there – this house has been here for 50 years and has seen a lot of wind before this.”
James and Jacqueline Mcgivern were holidaying in the Bridport Caravan Park when a tree hit their van.
“We were very lucky but would like to thank the wonderful help of the volunteer fire brigade and the park managers who went out of their way to help us,” Mr McGivern said.
“There is a lot of negative news around, but my wife and I couldn’t believe how local people approached us with offers of genuine help.
“We don’t know many of their names but would like to thank them.
“A special thanks to a local take away who gave us breakfast and the garage helped us without charge.
“The fine spirit of the Bridport community meant so much more than what we experienced in the storm.”
Commissioner Andrew Wardlaw praised the efforts of Council’s works crew, TasNetworks, SES and community volunteers who responded to reported emergencies.
“Council’s priority is community safety and Council’s crews are still responding to the storm damage and working to make roads and facilities safe,” Commissioner Wardlaw said.
“The full extent of the storm damage is currently being assessed and is still unknown at this stage.”
“A number of trees fell at Bridport Caravan Park and within the Blue Derby Network while there has been some damage to several of Council’s facilities including the Ringarooma and Branxholm recreation grounds,” he said.
Residents can dispose of green waste for free at the Scottsdale, Gladstone and Branxholm Waste Transfer Stations from today until Wednesday, September 18.
A tree brought down power lines but narrowly missed a house in Branxholm.
The clean-up is underway as businesses and households count the cost of the weekend’s storm damage and power outage aftermath.
The first boat to Flinders Island in a week was set to sail from Bridport at 11:30pm Tuesday night if seas had calmed enough.
Other businesses are working out what is salvageable as they return to work.
Cathy Willis from Branxholm Hotel and Gladstone Hotel said she had to cancel 100 Fathers’ Day lunches on Sunday but has managed to salvage a lot of the food she had planned to use.
While Dale Jessup from CMTP said his Branxholm site was getting back on-line after closing Monday with no power and a challenge with log trucks prevented from getting to the site by blocked roads.
Mr Jessup said he’d travelled to work over the Sideling after checking for road closures via Tas Police, only to be turned back because of a tree over the road – the same thing happened on his return drive home.
“It wasn’t listed as closed so it was a bit frustrating because when I got there they had contractors working on the road. I know there is a lot going through a lot worse, but it just makes it hard to plan.”
Many in outlying areas are still literally in the dark about when they may have power restored.
Branxholm resident Karen Haywood said Tas Networks had estimated it could be Wednesday, Thursday or even Friday before they have power, after trees felled powerlines in Joyce St on Saturday night.
“They need to remove the trees because no one else is allowed to,” Mrs Haywood said.
“I've got pensioners asking about their freezers and power because they only have heat pumps for warmth
“We are okay – we are very resourceful and have been doing our hobbies by kitchen window, have battery lights, CD player batteries and the phone charging by in the ute. It's like being back in the late ‘60s - early ‘70s shack life.
“The storm (on Sunday night) shook the house and moved our beds with a rocking motion as we live on a hill and wind blows straight up Joyce Street onto our house.”
Tas Farmers President Ian Sauer said it was an awful situation.
“There is a whole heap of farmers in the middle of lambing and calving and this is not the weather for that with the significant rainfall and the damage to fences because of the wind,” Mr Sauer said.
“Dairies are relying on generators for milking and keeping their milk cool for the last few days and there are animal welfare issues for the dairies that don’t have any power and they do not know when they will be able to milk again which increases the risks of mastitis.
“Farmers can’t pump water to their troughs for their livestock and electric fences are not working so cows work that out after a few days and walk through them – the issues keep compounding.”