$80m Bill As Storm Clean-up Starts
Sydney Morning Herald
Wednesday January 23, 1991
Eighty-million dollars' damage, thousands of families without power still, sturdy old houses left smashed like plywood, cars flattened - this was suburban Sydney last night, more than 24 hours after the worst storm for years.
Although a massive clean-up began yesterday in areas from Turramurra to Woy Woy and Camden, much of the damage will take months to repair and some families may be without power until the weekend.
More than 1,000 emergency workers, including about 500 State Emergency Service volunteers, about 100 firemen and 130 soldiers from the Holsworthy Army base, were still struggling late yesterday to clear debris from roofs and streets throughout the northern suburbs and Central Coast.
Emergency workers may not reach the last of the 4,000 damaged houses until the weekend.
Half of the thousands of damage reports to the SES control centre at Hornsby by late yesterday had come from the heavily battered suburbs of Turramurra, Wahroonga, St Ives and Pymble.
Last night at least 52,500 properties still had no power. The NRMA believes the half-hour storm may cost $80 million.
First light yesterday brought despair to many families, such as the Harphams, of Pymble, when they were able to clearly see at last the terrible damage they had felt and feared the night before.
It had been Andrew Harpham's 15th birthday and the family had just started celebrating when the storm struck yesterday afternoon.
"There was an eerie silence," his mother, Rosalie, recalled. "Then a terrific noise. It seemed like it went forever. I felt I was in a matchbox house. We were frightened."
As wild winds and torrential rain lashed all around, a huge tree smashed into the two-storey home.
In yesterday's bright sunshine it was clear that almost every room had been extensively damaged.
"I think the house has had it," Mrs Harpham said as the family moved its possessions out.
Eighteen-year-old Zoe said it had all seemed unreal: "It was like a movie... the sky was green."
At one stage the family had to rescue its dog, Sam, which had fallen into the pool, apparently thinking it was part of the backyard because it was covered with leaves.
As the storm passed and the family was left shivering amid the ruins, feeling helpless, they remembered Andrew's birthday pavlova. "We just ate it,"said Mrs Harpham. "We could do that or cry."
In the worst hit areas of nearby Turramurra, such as Pentecost and Turramurra avenues, almost every house had major roof damage. Amid the grinding roar of chainsaws residents began trying to clean up.
The loss of the trees, for which Turramurra is famous, caused a lot of sorrow.
Four-year-old Stephanie Cheng, looked sadly at the uprooted trees and broken branches, and said: "You can smell the trees bleeding."
Houses once shrouded by trees were now visible, surrounded by carpets of branches and leaves.
"Everything has changed," said Ms Alison Harris, who has lived in Turramurra for 31 years. "There is so much more sky now."
The Salvation Army was out early, calling at homes to offer bags of ice to help preserve perishables going bad in refrigerators which had stopped more than 12 hours earlier when the power was cut. Many residents had already found friends and relatives with power and spare fridge space.
Roof tilers were out early, too.
As with any disaster, the clean-up yesterday brought out people's good side. Many sons, daughters and grandchildren converged on damaged suburbs to help clean their childhood homes.
Neighbours formed little knots in the middle of the streets comparing damage, finding out who needed most help, taking hot water in vacuum flasks to those who had only electric cooking appliances.
"It's almost worth having such a terrible storm to bring everyone together," said one long-term Turramurra resident.
© 1991 Sydney Morning Herald