CANBERRA – Thousands of people have been left without power after a severe thunderstorm hit Australia’s capital, damaging homes, and cars.
Canberra was hit by large hailstones and strong winds at approximately 5:00 p.m. local time on Monday (Jan. 3).
Emergency services received more than 400 calls for help, more than half of which remained unresolved on Tuesday (Jan. 4) morning.
There were widespread reports of fallen trees damaging homes and cars, with the northern suburbs of Belconnen and Gungahlin hit hardest.
“Staff and volunteers will be working into the night to provide assistance to the community. Please remember to stay safe and keep clear of storm damage in public areas and on roadways,” a spokesperson for the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Emergency Services Agency (ESA) said.
According to energy company Evoenergy, more than 16,000 homes experienced blackouts.
“Our crews are busy conducting repairs, and we ask for your patience as we’re inundated with reports,” Evoenergy said in a statement.
In Charnwood in the northwest flash flooding damaged buildings but there were no reports of injuries.
The central business district (CBD) was relatively unaffected, experiencing only brief rain.
Paige Madsen, from Strathnairn in the northwest, described the storm as “very scary.”
“We heard a bit of thunder and expected rain but within a couple of minutes, we had already lost the patio,” she told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
“We were never able to get through to the State Emergency Service but luckily we were able to use tools we had at home and get everything out of the neighbor’s yard and secure it.” (Xinhua) – bny
