Storm carves path of destruction

Manager of Campbell Wrecking Steve Keedle looks over a Spotted Gum branch torn off a tree in fron of the wrecking yard when a massive storm carved a trail of distruction through Waterview Heights early Sunday evening. Photo: Debrah Novak/The Daily Examiner

Debrah Novak

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Waterview trail of destruction

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PROPERTY owners in parts of the Clarence Valley were still reeling on Monday after a violent storm cut a swathe through the area on Sunday night.

From about 6pm on Sunday a storm front swept through the Valley. While some areas received only a few drops of rain, others, like Coutts Crossing, Ramornie and Waterview Heights, copped torrential rainfall, hail and lashing winds which uprooted trees and damaged homes and properties.

Properties in the Waterview Heights area, particularly along the Old Glen Innes Rd, seemed to bear the brunt of the front.

The property of Sandra and Clive Taylor, who operate an organic produce farm on Rumble Rd near Waterview Heights, was one of those worst hit by the tempest.

"It felt like we were right in the middle of a tornado. We've only been living here for eight years but we've never seen a storm anything like that," Sandra told The Daily Examiner.

"The trees in our front yard were ripped up and landed a fair way from our house. It also blew the pool pump and it also blew the roller door off our shed."

Unfortunately the biggest blow to the Taylors on Sunday night was the destruction of about 8090sq m of plastic growing houses for their organic produce. Sandra said the houses were worth more than $200,000 and had been almost totally destroyed by the wind.

"It levelled the whole thing - we're going to try and salvage a little bit and get some parts out of it but the rest is basically ruined," Sandra said.

"It'll probably be June or July by the time we get going again now - it's going to take a lot of work and money."

Trish and Roger Evans's Waterview Heights property also copped a lashing on Sunday night.

Their 20mx15m machinery shed was blown off its foundations and tossed across the yard like a child's toy.

The roof of their main house also began to lift during the storm, letting in the almost horizontal rain and soaking the interior of their home.

Trish said nothing could have prepared herself and Roger, who has been a part of nine military campaigns as part of the Australian Defence Force, for the "20 minutes of terror" they experienced during the storm.

"There was just nowhere to hide. How do you fight something you have no control over?," Trish said.

They believe they are now looking at a repair bill of at least $80,000.

Michael Stubbs, SES acting regional controller for the Clarence/Nambucca region, said local crews responded to nine different jobs around the Clarence Valley on Sunday night, with most involving fallen trees on roads and driveways. However he said communities further south of the Valley seemed to have copped the storm even worse .

The SES had been called to more than 20 jobs in the areas of Nana Glen, Glenreagh and around Coffs Harbour.

Wind gusts of up to 100kmh were recorded at Coffs Harbour, while the Bureau of Meteorology's Coffs Harbour Field Office recorded 45.2mm of rain in the space of about 15 minutes on Sunday night.

Banana growers in the Coffs Harbour and Woolgoolga areas were also reporting on Monday large sections of their plantations had been decimated by the torrential rain, wind and hail.

Unfortunately, there may be more wild weather on the way with the BoM predicting thunderstorm activity to continue around the North Coast on Tuesday.