Powerful winds have unleashed chaos across the Australian Capital Territory, with emergency services receiving non-stop calls for assistance as trees crash down, structures tear from homes and power lines snap throughout the region.
Widespread Damage and Power Disruptions
At least 80 reports of fallen trees have flooded into authorities, alongside numerous incidents of structural damage to properties and multiple power outages affecting suburbs across Canberra. The wild weather has left a trail of destruction, with Evoenergy reporting eight separate outages on their website, including traffic lights knocked out at a Northbourne Avenue intersection in Ainslie.
Affected suburbs span across the territory, with residents in Ainslie, Lyneham, O'Connor, Bruce, Mitchell, Deakin, Curtin, Florey, Hawker, Weetangera, Latham, Page and Scullin all experiencing power disruptions. The situation has kept emergency crews working tirelessly throughout Wednesday afternoon.
Emergency Services Stretched to Capacity
ACT State Emergency Service Chief Steve Forbes confirmed volunteers were "in the thick of it" responding to the barrage of calls for help. "When we have strong, windy days like this, majority of the damage that we see is in the result of a tree coming down," Mr Forbes explained.
"But we have also seen structures dislodged on homes. There was a pergola, for example, that had dislodged from a house. Some trees have taken down power lines, that has caused some power outages throughout the ACT, which the Evoenergy crews are busy working on."
The Bureau of Meteorology recorded a powerful 93km/h gust at Canberra Airport at 1:29pm, following an earlier severe weather warning. Mr Forbes anticipated the relentless calls would continue into the afternoon but expected conditions to ease around sunset when the wild weather was predicted to subside.
Critical Safety Advice for Residents
The State Emergency Service has issued important safety recommendations for Canberrans facing the dangerous conditions:
- Move vehicles under cover or away from trees
- Secure or put away loose items around your house, yard and balcony
- Keep at least eight metres away from fallen power lines or objects that may be energised, such as fences
- Report fallen power lines to your local energy provider as shown on your power bill
- Stay vigilant and monitor conditions, noting that landscapes may have changed following recent bushfires
Trees previously damaged by fire are particularly unstable and more likely to fall during severe wind events. For emergency assistance in floods and storms, residents should contact their local SES unit on 132 500.
The wild weather has created challenging conditions across the capital, with intermittent storms bringing rain that saw umbrellas deployed throughout the city even as winds threatened to tear them from people's grasp. Emergency services remain on high alert as they continue to respond to the unfolding situation.
