Sydney storms: Thousands without power as rain continues to lash NSW

Powerlines remain down across much of Sydney. Picture: John Grainger

THE SES says it holds ‘grave fears’ for people trapped in floodwaters, while an estimated 100,000 homes are without power across the Sydney, Central Coast and Hunter regions after as much as 250mm of heavy rain lashed the coastal regions of NSW overnight.

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State Emergency Services Deputy Commissioner Steve Pearce said at least 20 people had already been rescued and there were still numerous people caught in dangerous situations on the state’s central and north coasts.

“We have multiple rescues going on at the moment where people … are stranded in floodwaters, attempting to drive through floodwaters,” Mr pearce said.

“Other people have attempted to drive through causeways and been washed over causeways.

“We have really grave fears for some of those people and we’re doing everything we can to address that.”

The east-coast low is one of the worst the state has experienced in the past two or three years, he said.

There are flood watches on every major river system in the NSW Hunter and mid north coast area.

Earlier, two people missing in floodwaters at Stroud were found.

The SES is receiving 200 calls an hour – particularly from the Hunter and mid-north coast regions – but many others aren’t getting though due to power outages.

Winds the equivalent of a category two cyclone – up to 135km/h – have battered NSW’s Central Coast.

Mr Pearce said there had been mobile phone contact with the missing pair from Stroud but the phone battery appeared to have died before they were located.

One of the people found, an elderly woman, is believed to have been taken to hospital in a critical condition.

A car was destroyed in Avalon after a huge tree came down in the storms last night. Picture: Martin Lange

“It is really mountainous country up there so the reception isn’t good at all,” Mr Pearce said earlier this morning.

“It’s going to have to be line of sight to try and search for these people.”

The strong winds stopped helicopters from being used in the rescue mission, which was conducted on land and water.

“We have hundreds and hundreds of volunteers out in the field and we are calling in more from other parts of the Sydney and now up onto the Hunter area,” Mr Pearce told media this morning.

“We’ve had 24 hours of relentless gale-force winds. I haven’t seen this wind damage for years.”

“It’s basically like a flood island (at Stroud).”

Avalon pool virtually disappeared in big seas. Picture: Martin Lange

Reports are coming in from various locations of homes with their roofs torn off. The danger isn’t over and people should stay home, Mr Pearce said.

“The roads are far too dangerous. Flash flooding is everywhere throughout the Sydney metropolitan and surrounding areas,” he said. “We have multiple people being caught in the floodwaters. Please do not attempt to walk, ride or drive through floodwater.”

Yachts washed up on Gosford waterfront in rough seas. Picture: Mark Scott

There are also reports cruise ship Carnival Spirit is stuck outisde Sydney Heads due to the poor weather.

One house, in Rankin Park on the Central Coast, was reportedly split in half by a falling tree. Luckily, there were no injuries.

The Bureau of Meteorology said the weather was the result of an intense, slow-moving low pressure system near where the Hunter and Mid North Coast regions meet.

The system is expected to move gradually south throughout Tuesday.

A car was crushed by a falling tree on Pitt St in Redferm. Picture: Michael Bilbe-Taylor

Authorities are warning people on Tuesday to beware of downed power lines as well as avoiding storm debris that could be hiding live lines.

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Storms will continue to pommel parts of NSW for a second day, giving crews little chance of a proper clean-up effort.

Ausgrid says many homes and businesses will be without power throughout the day and into tomorrow.

A tree fell accross a bus in Steyne Rd, Saratoga, on the NSW Central Coast. Picture: Carleen Frost

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for damaging winds and surf along the coastal fringe from the Illawarra to the mid north coast.

Overnight wind gusts were recorded up to 135km/h at Norah Head, north of Gosford.

There is also the danger of flooding in the Manning, Karuah, Hunter, Wyong and Lower Hawkesbury valleys, as well as Lake Macquarie and the Paterson and Williams Rivers.

A broken tree branch rests on power wires as a result of bad weather at the intersection of Liverpool Rd and Frances Ave. Picture: Chris McKeen

Some parts of the city received more than 100mm of rain.

Terrey Hills, Richmond, Canterbury and Gosford also topped the 100mm mark.

An astounding 258mm fell at Crawford, near Bulahdelah south of Forster.

The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) expects to continue to be inundated with calls for help, after it received more than 2800 requests since the weather deteriorated on Monday. As many as 1500 of those calls came from the city.

“We’re not expecting conditions to ease until Wednesday,” SES spokeswoman Stephanie Wills told AAP.

A police vehicle with lights flashing negotiates flooding at the intersection of Eddy and Pitt streets in Sydney’s CBD overnight. Picture: Chris McKeen

WEATHER WARNINGS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

DESTRUCTIVE WINDS averaging 90 to 100 km/h with peak gusts up to 135 km/h are forecast for coastal parts of the Hunter forecast district (including the Central Coast) today.

DAMAGING WINDS averaging 60 to 70 km/h with gusts to about 100 km/h are forecast to continue along the coastal fringe of the Metropolitan, Mid North Coast and Illawarra forecast districts today.

Flooding on the Central Coast Highway at West Gosford. Picture: Llewellyn Lazaro

HEAVY RAINFALL is likely in the Hunter district, but also possible about the Metropolitan, Illawarra, and southern Mid North Coast today.

VERY HEAVY SURF which may lead to localised damage and coastal erosion is forecast for the Metropolitan, Hunter and Illawarra forecast districts and southern parts of the Mid North Coast forecast district overnight and Tuesday. Beach conditions in these areas are dangerous and people should stay well away from the surf and surf exposed areas.