Raging Tornado slams through Perth, Australia
Pastor Dale Morgan
*Raging Tornado slams through Perth, Australia *
By staff writers and wires
June 09, 2008 04:42pm
Article from: NEWS.com.au
AT least one raging ornado smashed its way through southern Perth today,
ripping roofs off houses and causing mass blackouts, the Bureau of
Meteorology said.
About 50 elderly residents of the Tanby Hall hostel near Rockingham were
evacuated to safety as destructive winds tore off the building's roof
and water poured in at about 8.30am (WST).
No one was reported injured but the hall is expected to be closed for
two days.
The Bureau of Meteorology had issued a severe weather warning for much
of the southwest of the state, including Perth.
Winds reached 104km/h at Ocean Reef in Perth's north, with a bureau
spokesman saying they would have been much stronger in Rockingham.
"We had at least one tornado confirmed in Rockingham, just on the damage
trail from it,'' the spokesman said.
Rockingham newsagency proprietor Keith Ballard said many streets had
turned into “wind tunnels” before the mini-tornado swept through.
Mr Ballard said many residents had just finished mopping up after a
vicious storm last weekend as the mini-tornado hit today.
“A lot of people have lost their roofs… alongside of us, apartment
blocks have water damage,” Mr Ballard said.
He also said a man who won more than $570,000 in lotto was not able to
run the winning ticket through the newsagency’s machine because of power
outages that affected tens of thousands of buildings.
The State Emergency Service (SES) received 192 calls for help, including
about 140 in the Rockingham area.
Across Perth, 30 homes suffered major structural damage, the SES said.
Western Power said 12,000 homes were left without power, with about half
of those in Rockingham.
Police were urging drivers to avoid downed power lines in the southern
suburbs of Safety Bay and Shoalwater.
The Bureau of Meteorology has now cancelled the severe weather warning,
but says more squally showers are expected.
The Bureau of Meteorology says the storm that hit Rockingham had "all
the hallmarks of being a tornado".
Despite flooded roads and traffic hazards as severe gusts lashed city
suburbs, and storm damage to hundreds of buildings, no-one has been injured.
Western Power is trying to reconnect 12, 000 customers in Rockingham,
where powerlines are down and roofs have been damaged.
A severe cold front over the southern half of WA has damaged more than
130 homes in Rockingham.
The State Emergency Service has received calls for help from residents
in suburbs including Rockingham, Safety Bay, Waikiki and Cooloongup.
Winds of 125km/h are expected to his the coasts of Mandurah, Bunbury and
Busselton and thunderstorms are still expected.
A hostel in Cooloongup, in the sourthern suburbs, was evacuated after
the building's roof was ripped off. About 50 elderly residents were
temporarily moved from the Tranby Hall facility.
FESA spokesman Allen Gale says 30 houses in Rockingham have major
structural damage.
Since 6am FESA workers have targeted Kwinana, Cooloongup, Safety Bay and
Rockingham.
A severe weather warning has been cancelled in the South West, the
metropolitan area, Mandurah, Bunbury and Busselton.
But the Bureau of Meteorology says more squally showers are expected.