Wild Weather Leaves Kurri Kurri Looking Like a War Zone

BY JESSICA ROUSE

It could be days before Kurri Kurri gets back on its feet after a ferocious storm ripped through the area yesterday afternoon.

Cyclonic conditions hit the town at about 2pm, with it came winds of up to 100 kilomtres per hour that ripped roofs off buildings, brought trees down on cars and cut power to thousands of homes.

Image MJF Productions.

Emergency services were run off their feet with the Kurri Kurri Community Centre evacuated after the building partially collapsed, and the Ambulance Practice hall became one of the worst hit with the roof completely ripped off.

Cessnock Mayor Bob Pynsent said the storm was short but severe.

"I was in the area yesterday when it happened and it is like a war zone,"

"The plan today is that the SES, the police and council have a meeting this morning and from there we will work out a way forward, particularly around the safety aspect of the buildings that lost their roofs," said Mayor Bob Pynsent.

Today Kurri Kurri Public School is closed due to damage, as will the library until it is given the all clear. The OOSh which runs out of the Ambulance Hall will relocate if a suitable venue can be found.



"We will get a full assessment today with the meeting between SES, the police and council and we will then be putting forward an emergency funding plan from the government," said Mayor Bob Pynsent.

Rachael Squires from the SES says crews are still dealing with dozens of calls for assistance.

"In total, we had over 175 calls for assistance. Last night we had 20 crews on the ground from across our region, we also had assistance from a number of crews from Fire and Rescue and so we managed to be able to complete around 90 of those jobs so we'll still be working on the ground today."

Ausgrid is still working to restore power to 1300 homes around Kurri Kurri, Abermain, Weston Sawyers Gully and Loxford.

"Everyone needs to remain safe because we still have around 1300 people without power so it's going to be a tough day again today," said Mayor Bob Pynsent.

Kurri Kurri Communuity Centre Image MJF Productions.

Image MJF Productions.

UPDATE 3:20pm Huge thunderstorm pummels through the Hunter

BY JESSICA ROUSE

UPDATE 3:22pm

Two people have been taken to the Maitland Hospital after being hurt during the storm.

Emergency services were called the Kurri Kurri Community Centre at 2:07pm.

They suffered minor injuries believed to be storm related.

The State Emergency Service is advising people to move cars under or away from trees, secure loose items around your house, stay away from fallen power lines or objects, report any fallen power lines to Ausgrid on 131 388, unplug computers or appliances, avoid using your phone during the storm and try to stay indoors.

EARLIER 2:30pm

There are reports of significant damage in the Kurri Kurri business district as a huge thunderstorm moves through the area.

The Kurri Kurri Community Centre in Lang Street has been evacuated after suffering storm damage this afternoon.

The damage is yet to be fully assessed and so it will be closed until further notice. There are reports the roof has been torn off the centre and exposed bricks have fallen onto the road.

Glen works next door to the library and says emergency services are checking that everyone got out alright.

"Community Centre library has lost its roof completely by the look of things its taken some of the facade down with it. There's bricks all on the road, tin across the road. At the moment we've got ambulance, fire, police, the streets are blocked off, we've got wires down, trees down..."

RT: KURRI KURRI | UPDATE: All people accounted for after partial building collapse in Lang St. Exclusion zone in place & crews assessing da…

— Ian Krimmer (@IanKrimmer) November 6, 2017

Other buildings have also reportedly been damaged including the Ambulance Practice Hall in Lang Street.

The Kurri Kurri Aquatic Fitness Centre has been closed due to damage. Just what the damage there is isn't known at this stage.

Traffic lights are blacked out at Station Street at First Street in Weston, meanwhile, there's a fallen tree on Allandale Road and a damaged sign is affecting southbound traffic in East Maitland at Newcastle Street at High Street.

The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe thunderstorm warning which was expected to hit Newcastle, Maitland, Raymond Terrace, Wallsend and Morpeth by 2:30pm and then Swansea, Dora Creek, Nords Wharf and Lake Macquarie by 3pm.

You should report fallen power lines to either Ausgrid on 131 388, or Endeavour Energy on 131 003 or Essential Energy on 132 080 as shown on your power bill.

In an emergency ring the SES on 132 500.

The day Newcastle stood still.

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Mother nature is a force to be reckoned with, and it was certainly the case on this day ten years ago when the Pasha Bulker came to rest on the sand of Nobbys Beach.

Novocastrians woke on Friday June 8th 2007 to what appeared to be another common dreary day, but as the day wore on, winds picked up to 110km/hr and swells of 10 metres lashed the coastline.

The 40,000-tonne Panamanian carrier the Pasha Bulker was caught in the ferocious winds and rain along the coast. The captain ignored warnings to head back out to sea and then consequently failed to fight against the massive swells, leaving the Pasha Bulker grounded at Nobbys Beach.

Image abc.net.au

Former Nobbys Surf Life Saving President Dave Edwards saw the awesome moment the unthinkable happened to the Pasha Bulker and says any further north and the carrier would've been grounded on the rocks of the breakwater for good.

"I was going that way home so I thought I'll go and make sure everything was secure in the surf club and as I drove past Newcastle baths I saw the Pasha Bulker behind the baths there and it got pretty close but it never locked into my brain how close she was because I was more intent on getting around to the surf club to secure the surf club," said Dave.

He saw the propeller start to grab the water and move the boat, but it wasn't strong enough, "and then it started to come across the bay towards the surf club and I thought it was going to come through the doors of the surf club at one stage there. It came across the bay there and I thought oh no it's going to land right in the Southern quarter and come through the doors of the surf club, but then a couple more big waves washed it ashore where she ended up."

Every man and his dog flocked to the foreshore to see the unbelievable sight, along with a vast media contingent including former Newcastle radio journalist Loren Cousins who covered the story from the moment the Pasha Bulker hit the sand and still can't believe what she witnessed.

"It kind of just loomed up out of the waves, this huge coal ship and you just couldn't believe it was so close to the shore. It was just water and spray from the surf crashing all over it - it was actually incredible," said Loren.

"It just looked like an enormous site, this big ship just getting through across into the waves starting to break on the back of Nobbys Reef. Certainly, when you see a big red ship getting blown backwards its just I can't get it out of my brain, I'll take it to the day I die that image in my brain," said Dave.

Image Robert Rouse

The Newcastle Westpac Rescue Helicopter was called in to bring all 22 of the crew to the shore in what were almost cyclonic conditions on the deck of the carrier.

The big red ship spent 24 days grounded on the sand and it took three attempts over five nights to drag her back out to sea.

"I think I was on the phone at the time and at one stage there were a few different tries I seem to recall, but eventually you saw this tugboat going down towards Merewether Beach way and then you saw this huge coal ship just gliding along in the darkness," said Loren.

While a lot of what we remember was on Nobbys Beach that day, flooding and strong winds left much of the Hunter absolutely devastated and changed many communities lives forever.

Nine people lost their lives and the region was officially declared to be in a state of emergency.