Cyclone Hilda Brings Destruction in Broome
Atropical cyclone has brought down trees and powerlines in northern Western Australia, bringing damaging winds and heavy rainfall to the coastal tourist town of Broome and nearby small Aboriginal communities. Category one Cyclone Hilda passed within 16 kilometres of Bidyadanga, an Indigenous community of 1000 people, early this morning, leaving structural damage but no reported injuries. Hilda also caused extensive damage as it passed the Kimberley town of Broome and the Eco Beach resort. Department of Fire and Emergency Services operations area manager Glenn Halls said he was thankful there had been no reports of injuries to the community or his crews working on the ground amid extremely difficult conditions. About 90 homes in Bidyadanga remained without power this morning, with crews battling extreme weather to complete vital repair work.
Queensland
Storms have left a path of destruction through parts of Queensland’s Darling Downs and Burnett, with roofs torn from homes, buildings damaged, and trees uprooted. The storms hit on Wednesday afternoon bringing strong winds and heavy rain.
Locals in the town of Kumbia, near Kingaroy in the South Burnett, have spent the day clearing debris from roads and yards. Brian Stevens said he has survived tornados in the United States.
“It wasn’t quite as bad as that but it was like a mini tornado,” he said. More than 4000 homes in the South Burnett lost power in the storm.