Big Storm in Canberra
February 27th, 2007 at 09:16pm
There is currently a very large storm battering southern Canberra. The storm formed about half an hour ago to the west of Canberra and is rapidly moving to the south-east. The lightning from this storm must be quite potent as it is causing quite amazingly bright flashes in the clouds all the way out here in inner north Canberra.
A severe storm warning is current and I wouldn’t surprised if this storm is causing flash flooding in some parts of the Tuggeranong area.
The latest radar image shows that the storm is expanding rapidly and the rain is getting heavier in the process. Get out your battery operated radios people and activate your emergency plan, it looks like the entire Canberra region will most likely be affected by this.
For assistance with storm damage, contact the SES on 132 500
Update 11pm: This should be a red alert and emergency sirens…absolute pelting hail storm in Inner North for the last twenty minutes or more. Can’t say more right now, can’t stay upstairs. End Update
Update 12:46am: Here’s what I wrote in some comments a couple minutes ago:
According to an SES person Civic has been severely damaged in the storm, apparently most buildings have alarms going off and a lot have water and hail damage. In my area one lady has water coming out of her smoke alarm, I managed to get a nearby SES team to attend, the fire alarms on a number of nearby buildings are going off and the fire brigade is attending to a problem of some sort just up the street.
The SES person also said that cars were getting bogged in the rain.
I have a few more photos which I will upload tonight, and a video which may or may not have worked properly…I’ll check and see.
End Update
Samuel
Entry Filed under: Canberra Stories
15 Comments
1. Hamesucken | February 27th, 2007 at 9:56 pm
Thanks Samuel,
I have been listening to recorded music all night so I didn’t know of the danger.
I’ve got the trannie out now so I can be kept abreast of current issues.
Please (if it’s not dangerous for you) could you keep updating the storm situation in Canberra? JJJ is useless!
Take care Sam.
2. Samuel | February 27th, 2007 at 11:05 pm
Sorry about the lack of updates, it’s been pretty bad here for a little while…seems to be getting a bit better now.
3. Samuel | February 27th, 2007 at 11:07 pm
switch to 2cc…I’m about to update Stuart Bocking on the situation
4. John_Barnes | February 27th, 2007 at 11:43 pm
No hail whatsoever at my place.
Ummmm….. I keep hearing….. “When it’s time to close your eyes ..
…… ” etc., on 2CC .
5. Samuel | February 28th, 2007 at 12:40 am
I think the Mitchell electricity grid had some minor issues and 2CC’s computer is a bit cranky as a result. Seems to be a bit happier this hour.
According to an SES person Civic has been severely damaged in the storm, apparently most buildings have alarms going off and a lot have water and hail damage. In my area one lady has water coming out of her smoke alarm, I managed to get a nearby SES team to attend, the fire alarms on a number of nearby buildings are going off and the fire brigade is attending to a problem of some sort just up the street.
By the way, just heard you on 2CC John.
6. Samuel | February 28th, 2007 at 12:44 am
Scratch “Seems to be a bit happier this hour.”
7. Samuel | February 28th, 2007 at 12:45 am
The SES person also said that cars were getting bogged in the rain.
I have a few more photos which I will upload tonight, and a video which may or may not have worked properly…I’ll check and see.
8. John_Barnes | February 28th, 2007 at 1:07 am
Sounds like real mayhem over your side Samuel.
That “When it’s time to close your eyes song” is becoming a bit
tiresome. Has overtones of the “Sound of Silence” fiasco of New Years Eve !
9. John_Barnes | February 28th, 2007 at 1:25 am
Oh…. and ABC TV have been off air since 11.15 pm – that’s over 2 hours now !
Somebody deserves a swift kick up the rear end.
10. John_Barnes | February 28th, 2007 at 2:10 am
The ABC TV came back at precisely 1.30am, but the “When it’s
time to close your eyes” song on 2CC continues ad nauseam.
What sort of a Mickey Mouse station are these people running ?
11. Samuel | February 28th, 2007 at 2:38 am
It’s the first ad on the emergency tape John, it’s for The Australian Bedding Company, and the reason it keeps playing is that 2CC’s computer seems to be having issues. Things will (hopefully) be solved around 5am when a panel operator arrives.
12. John_Barnes | February 28th, 2007 at 8:00 am
“2CC’s computer seems to be having issues”.
Seems to me it’s more than just the computer that’s ‘having issues’.
13. Bearded Clam | February 28th, 2007 at 8:34 pm
You know what it needs…?
BIFF BANG POW
COP THAT!
14. John B1_B5 | February 28th, 2007 at 9:34 pm
And here’s one for the person who set up the computer –
POW !
15. Samuel | February 28th, 2007 at 9:47 pm
I’m going to have to leap to the defence of 2CC’s automation system here.
The storm caused problems with lots of equipment around Canberra, including Telstra’s Civic exchange which was partially flooded. The issue at 2CC was most likely caused by power fluctuations in ActewAGL’s rather unreliable Mitchell grid, this caused every second piece of audio to play muted, which in turn set off the emergency backup tape.
If, for example, the ESA had issued the Yellow or Red warning that they so badly wish they had, then 2CC, along with every other broadcaster in Canberra, would have had staff on site to handle the storm story and, in 2CC’s case, the computer glitch. As it happened, during the storm there was no way anyone could travel anywhere, and after the storm had passed there was nothing any of the broadcasters could really have done anyway, and I’m sure that 2CC’s staff were a bit too busy assessing the storm’s aftermath to their own properties to rush in to the station to fix a minor computer glitch.
If I was a 2CC employee, I wouldn’t have been able to get in there until about 1am…and by that time the situation was well and truly over.