ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
The weird rat-like people of Sydney awoke this morning to the aftermath of their annual Queensland-strength thunderstorm, buzzing with excitement as they swapped storm stories over their morning coffees. For many, the “biggest storm in years” offered a rare opportunity to post grainy videos of lightning strikes on Instagram and complain about the mild inconvenience of delayed UberEats orders.
However, while Sydneysiders marvelled at the raw power of nature from the safety of their double-brick terraces, first responders and regional communities grappled with the less social media-friendly side of nature’s fury.
The NSW SES, who responded to over 2000 calls for assistance overnight, described the storm as an annual reminder that Sydney has no idea how to handle a bit of weather.
“Oh, it was magnificent,” said intergenerational wealthfare recipient Emma-Louise Page, who described the storm as “just like that time in Bali.”
She admitted that the power outage at her home was an inconvenience, but said she was mostly fun.
“It was like Earth Hour but compulsory! Our whole street was out! I feel bad for the Fowlers over the road, they were in the middle of roasting a chicken when the power went out. I think they had to make do with Shapes and smoked oysters.”
Meanwhile, in Cowra, where they raise the best lamb in the nation, a man lost his life when a tree fell on his car. In Newcastle, Wollongong, and the central west, emergency crews worked through the night to restore power to more than 140,000 homes. Across these areas, the focus was less on marvelling at the storm and more on cleaning up its catastrophic aftermath.
More to come.
