Residents across Newcastle's northern suburbs have been left shocked and counting the cost after a sudden and violent storm cell tore through the area, leaving a widespread trail of destruction in its wake. The wild weather, which struck on Sunday, has been described by those who endured it as "nightmare" conditions, with howling winds and intense rain causing significant damage.
Emergency Services Inundated with Calls
The sheer force of the storm is reflected in the official response numbers. The NSW State Emergency Service received 246 calls for assistance across the northern region in the 24 hours to 2pm on Monday. Of these, a staggering 195 calls originated from within Newcastle itself, highlighting the city as the epicentre of the damage. The vast majority of requests were for trees and power lines that had been brought down by the ferocious winds.
The suburbs of Lambton and Waratah were identified as among the worst affected. The tempest left thousands of properties without electricity, blacked out traffic lights, and turned streets into obstacle courses of debris.
Residents Recount the Fury of the Storm
For long-term Lambton resident Matthew Atkinson, the event marked only the third time in 26 years that his property had been hit with such severity. The storm's impact was dramatically amplified when a fence from a neighbouring wrecking yard was ripped away and lodged in a drain.
This blockage caused stormwater to gush into Mr Atkinson's yard, where it rose to almost knee height. "It's a bit of a nightmare to be honest," he admitted. The floodwaters invaded his shed, soaking equipment, and caused his pool to overflow, lifting the surrounding boards. With insurance assessors now involved, Mr Atkinson has already ordered a skip bin to begin the massive clean-up.
Just a few hundred metres away, Laurie Powis experienced the storm's destructive power firsthand when a large tree snapped in front of his home, taking out his power supply. "I've never seen anything that strong," Mr Powis said, emphasising the unprecedented velocity of the wind. "We spent the next half hour in shock." Amid the chaos, he and his partner also managed to rescue an injured cockatoo that was found bleeding and sheltering under a car, later handing it over to WIRES for care.
Clean-Up Efforts Swing into Action
North Lambton resident Anne MacKenzie summed up the experience for many, describing the weather event as "like a tornado." She reported that the rain was so intense and horizontal that she temporarily lost sight of her neighbour's house.
SES crews began their response around 5pm on Sunday and worked tirelessly into the night, addressing a relentless stream of jobs related to tree damage, fallen power lines, and leaking roofs. The scale of the clean-up required additional crews from other regions to be brought into Newcastle on Monday to assist local teams.
As the community starts the slow process of recovery, the focus remains on clearing debris, restoring power, and repairing the significant damage inflicted by minutes of terrifying, concentrated fury from the skies.
