SES to assist battered Lord Howe
The NSW State Emergency Service will send 20 volunteers to Lord Howe Island, after violent storms caused extensive damage to homes, businesses and the airport.
On Sunday night, winds gusting up to 150 kilometres an hour ripped through the Island, which was also inundated with 230 millimetres of rain in just three hours.
The wild weather caused flash flooding, roof damage and left the airport unserviceable to all but light aircraft.
Steve Delaney from the SES says workers have a big job ahead of them.
"There's a lot of debris all over the Island with a couple of the homes actually suffering some structural damage and also the northern end of the Island has actually lost power due to damage to the generation plant," he said.
Mr Delaney also says a lot of repair work will be needed to reopen the Island's airport.
"The actual pavement on the runway has been damaged by water," he said.
"There is access at this stage to light aircraft. Whether or not it can be repaired will be open to judgement and investigation and analysis by the engineers who will be going over with our crew."
Full report here:
www.abc.net.au/news/2009-04-21/ses-to-assist-in-lord-howe-disaster-zone/1657630
How you going Tim? You OK? Looks like those easterlies will keep coming. 30 knots all to yourself for the next few days by the look of the forecast maps.
Probably a few new mudslides as well. I went on Jack Shick's tour to the top of Mt Gower last year. Well worth it on a non-windy day. All sorts of interesting geological and ecological snippets. One bit I remember is that Lord Howe Island rose out of the ocean as a volcano 7 million years ago. It used to be huge there is only about 5% of it left above the ocean now and the estimate is that in another 1/4 million years it will all be eroded to sea level. Events like last Sunday must take a bit of a slice off it.
The fam & I are fine, as we reside in the 'heights', we haven't been too badly affected. I definitely don't have the gear (or the inclination) to be out sailing at the moment. maybe tomorrow, definitely the day after.
I tell you what though, the garbage outside the restaurant is piling up. The road to the tip is cut!
My double kayak was picked up and thrown 100m. One of the big glass bottom boats was flipped and the side of the powerhouse was ripped off.
It's pretty impressive stuff, makes you feel a little insignificant....
Jack & family are cut off from the North but are OK. There has been no injuries which is lucky when you looked at how many limbs came off those big Norfolk pines.
Just read that the peak gust was 146kmh and that 140mm fell in just 2 hours.
I asked my mum and dad who used to spend a lot of time there years ago and they hadnt seen anything that bad.
Glad everything is alright for you Lord Howe.
lordhowe, glad your all OK.
No water restictions over there , for a few weeks then 
what's wrong with you.
sounds like perfect sailing weather..... 
htfu
p.s. glad all are ok.
