Tragedy struck south of Sydney on Saturday evening as a violent storm claimed a life in a horrifying accident. A tree limb plummeted onto a car around 4 PM, roughly 90 km from the city center, resulting in the immediate death of the driver, a woman.
Responders arrived swiftly to the grim scene. The front-seat male passenger sustained light injuries, but the two rear passengers were unscathed. This heartbreaking event unfolded amid widespread storm devastation across New South Wales.
Heavy downpours triggered flash flooding in northern Sydney, snarling traffic and delaying flights at the international airport. The State Emergency Service fielded countless calls for help, successfully extracting four people from perilous situations.
Superintendent Matt Kirby painted a bleak picture on ABC, stating Sunday would bring no relief, with intense rain forecast for Sydney and nearby zones. He issued stark warnings: “Don’t drive in floods, and watch where you park—falling trees pose a constant threat.”
High surf forced the closure of Sydney beaches, with authorities pleading for caution near wave-battered shores. The storm’s fury highlights Australia’s vulnerability to extreme weather.
Shifting focus to Victoria, Thursday’s emergency alerts for coastal regions near Great Ocean Road revealed cars floating in floodwaters, shared widely online. Blackouts plagued the area, yet Erin Mason of emergency services reported no casualties.
Lorne, a tourist haven, endured a record 170 mm rainfall from 9 AM to 4 PM, surpassing the 2021 mark of 123 mm. Amid this, Victoria’s bushfire crisis worsened, with 410,000 hectares burned and 900 structures lost, including 260 residences, as fires persisted.
