They don't call it an east coast bomb for nothing

Internet is back up, was out for about 18 hours. But we're safe, dry and have power.

Confirmed death toll is 5 with another 3 missing. A middle aged couple out the Hunter Valley got washed off a road yesterday afternoon, their bodies were found this morning. Late yesterday afternoon, at Sombersby on the Central Coast, a section of the Old Pacific Highway collapsed, sending a car with a family of 5 - a couple in their 30s and 3 kids aged 2, 3 and 9, into a creek. The car was found within an hour, 100m down stream, but no sign of the people. In the last hour they've found the bodies of the father and two of the kids.

Pictures of the road collapse and the car (from SMH):





Another person is missing in Newcastle.

Newcastle and the Central Coast and the Hunter Valley are the worst hit. Yesterday morning a coal ship beached itself 100m offshore at Newcastle. There was a dangerous rescue operation with a helicopter to winch the crew off. There were worried it was going to break up, but looks like it's okay.



Late yesterday arvo in peakhour the train line between Sydney and the Central Coast was cut by a landslide, luckily a train managed to stop. About 3000 people were stranded at Hornsby and it took hours to get them home by bus.

Rainfall figures are amazing. Just a few for the last 24 hours - 25mm = 1 inch:
Central Coast
Kangy Angy - 218 mm
Gosford - 153 mm
Kulnura - 196 mm
Newcastle/Hunter Valley
Nobbys Beach - 210 mm
Cessnock - 190mm
Northern Sydney - the recordings closest to me
Glenorie - 125mm
Brooklyn - 160mm
Berowra - 147mm

There's also figures of above 100mm in the Blue Mountains which covers parts of the dam catchment. Many of these areas had 50-100mm or more in the previous 24 hours to this. Apparently some areas may break their 30 year rainfall records.

Along with the terrible rain and flooding, there's been galeforce winds. Up to 200,000 people are without power, mainly in the Central Coast and Newcastle areas. Some have been out for more than 24 hours, many won't be back on till tomorrow at the earliest. Conditions have been too dangerous for electricity crews.

Things are easing, even had a bit of sun this morning. At 5.55am, we were woken by a massive thunder clap - the type that sounds like a bullet or bomb. Mum thought a tree had fallen on the house. I leapt out of bed and pulled all the tv aerials, and then started shaking. We waited for the next clap...there was nothing, not even a rumble.

They don't call it an east coast bomb for nothing

Internet is back up, was out for about 18 hours. But we're safe, dry and have power.

Confirmed death toll is 5 with another 3 missing. A middle aged couple out the Hunter Valley got washed off a road yesterday afternoon, their bodies were found this morning. Late yesterday afternoon, at Sombersby on the Central Coast, a section of the Old Pacific Highway collapsed, sending a car with a family of 5 - a couple in their 30s and 3 kids aged 2, 3 and 9, into a creek. The car was found within an hour, 100m down stream, but no sign of the people. In the last hour they've found the bodies of the father and two of the kids.

Pictures of the road collapse and the car (from SMH):





Another person is missing in Newcastle.

Newcastle and the Central Coast and the Hunter Valley are the worst hit. Yesterday morning a coal ship beached itself 100m offshore at Newcastle. There was a dangerous rescue operation with a helicopter to winch the crew off. There were worried it was going to break up, but looks like it's okay.



Late yesterday arvo in peakhour the train line between Sydney and the Central Coast was cut by a landslide, luckily a train managed to stop. About 3000 people were stranded at Hornsby and it took hours to get them home by bus.

Rainfall figures are amazing. Just a few for the last 24 hours - 25mm = 1 inch:
Central Coast
Kangy Angy - 218 mm
Gosford - 153 mm
Kulnura - 196 mm
Newcastle/Hunter Valley
Nobbys Beach - 210 mm
Cessnock - 190mm
Northern Sydney - the recordings closest to me
Glenorie - 125mm
Brooklyn - 160mm
Berowra - 147mm

There's also figures of above 100mm in the Blue Mountains which covers parts of the dam catchment. Many of these areas had 50-100mm or more in the previous 24 hours to this. Apparently some areas may break their 30 year rainfall records.

Along with the terrible rain and flooding, there's been galeforce winds. Up to 200,000 people are without power, mainly in the Central Coast and Newcastle areas. Some have been out for more than 24 hours, many won't be back on till tomorrow at the earliest. Conditions have been too dangerous for electricity crews.

Things are easing, even had a bit of sun this morning. At 5.55am, we were woken by a massive thunder clap - the type that sounds like a bullet or bomb. Mum thought a tree had fallen on the house. I leapt out of bed and pulled all the tv aerials, and then started shaking. We waited for the next clap...there was nothing, not even a rumble.

(no subject)

The rain and wind has set in again. We've got two rainbow lorikeets fluffed up on our toilet windowsill. They've been there for an hour or two.

And more not good news from the SMH:

More than 200,000 homes and businesses without power are likely to remain blacked out until late next week as high winds and torrential rains batter parts of NSW.

Around 100,000 customers remain without power in the Hunter region, 50,000 on the Central Coast and 50,000 in Sydney, EnergyAustralia executive general manager network Geoff Lilliss said.

"This is the worst storm and the worst damage our electricity network has seen for more than 30 years," he said.

"Given the extent of the damage to the network, as well as ongoing poor weather conditions, we expect we will be unable to restore power to customers in some areas until late next week.

"Flooding and strong winds are continuing to hamper our efforts to access areas and restore power across the Hunter and Central Coast in particular."

Power crews from Victoria and across NSW have joined EnergyAustralia crews as they work to restore service, he said.

"We have called in extra resources from Country Energy and Integral Energy who have deployed crews this morning from Taree, Tamworth, Port Macquarie, Cowra, Goulburn and western Sydney," he said.

"Tomorrow morning, extra crews will arrive from Victoria to allow us to ramp up our efforts even further.

"These additional crews will focus on restoring power to customers in the Hunter and Central Coast, as these areas are the hardest hit."

Thousands of people in Newcastle are also without water.

Hunter Water says the sewage system is overflowing in the city and thousands of people are without water and are being urged to use what supplies they have sparingly, ABC Radio reports.

(no subject)

The rain and wind has set in again. We've got two rainbow lorikeets fluffed up on our toilet windowsill. They've been there for an hour or two.

And more not good news from the SMH:

More than 200,000 homes and businesses without power are likely to remain blacked out until late next week as high winds and torrential rains batter parts of NSW.

Around 100,000 customers remain without power in the Hunter region, 50,000 on the Central Coast and 50,000 in Sydney, EnergyAustralia executive general manager network Geoff Lilliss said.

"This is the worst storm and the worst damage our electricity network has seen for more than 30 years," he said.

"Given the extent of the damage to the network, as well as ongoing poor weather conditions, we expect we will be unable to restore power to customers in some areas until late next week.

"Flooding and strong winds are continuing to hamper our efforts to access areas and restore power across the Hunter and Central Coast in particular."

Power crews from Victoria and across NSW have joined EnergyAustralia crews as they work to restore service, he said.

"We have called in extra resources from Country Energy and Integral Energy who have deployed crews this morning from Taree, Tamworth, Port Macquarie, Cowra, Goulburn and western Sydney," he said.

"Tomorrow morning, extra crews will arrive from Victoria to allow us to ramp up our efforts even further.

"These additional crews will focus on restoring power to customers in the Hunter and Central Coast, as these areas are the hardest hit."

Thousands of people in Newcastle are also without water.

Hunter Water says the sewage system is overflowing in the city and thousands of people are without water and are being urged to use what supplies they have sparingly, ABC Radio reports.