Perilous Times and Climate Change
Australia declares Disaster zone for NSW after tornados rips through
coastal towns
* From: AAP
* June 04, 2010 7:20AM
* Lennox Head, Ballina and Byron get aid
* 150km/h winds of the tornado lashed area
THE New South Wales Government has declared a natural disaster zone at
Lennox Head on the north coast.
It means the northern NSW coastal town and the wider Ballina and Byron
shires will qualify for financial assistance following yesterday's
tornado.
The money will be used to repair public infrastructure damaged during
the incident.
"Two people required hospital treatment but we remain thankful that no
one lost their lives or was more seriously injured when this tornado
hit Lennox Head coastline yesterday morning," NSW Premier Kristina
Keneally said today.
"The State Emergency Service, Rural Fire Service, NSW Fire Brigades and
NSW Police, along with Ballina Shire Council staff and Country Energy
crews have made us proud with their efforts."
The northern NSW region has also been affected by torrential rain,
causing substantial flooding to some areas.
Emergency services minister Steve Whan warned that more flooding could
occur in the coming days and urged residents to stock up on food and
medical supplies.
SES commissioner Murray Kear said he expected further calls for help
from residents of the northern coastal NSW township throughout the day.
There were also warnings that some of the damage to properties may have
exposed asbestos.
The tornado that tore through Lennox Head about 7.30am (AEST) yesterday
sprang out of a line of water spouts that formed over the ocean,
tearing roofs off homes, smashing windows and overturning caravans.
No one was killed, but six people were injured as the 150km/h winds of
the tornado hit the town.
In US terms, the tornado would have been classed as an F-1 tornado
(117-180km/h), which on the low end of the US grading scale, where an
F5 is the strongest.
It came on top of a series of storms and torrential downpours which
soaked the state's north, causing substantial flooding to some regions.
Commissioner Kear said the SES had responded to 270 calls since the
spate of foul weather began; 108 of those calls were in Lennox Head.
"It is incredible; it's just like a war zone in some of the areas I've
walked through last night and early this morning," he told Channel 7
this morning.
"The calls are about 76 per cent complete. We expect that some more
calls will come in through the day as people find more water inundation
into their homes but this morning we'll start the clear up process and
evaluating the damage."