CLOUDBURSTS IN SYDNEY

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27499, 5 November 1954, Page 13

CLOUDBURSTS IN SYDNEY

Reports Of Heavy Damage (Rec. 11.30 p.m.) SYDNEY,'Nov. Thousands of tpounds worth of damage was caused by torrential rain in Sydney today with cloudbursts in some areas. Many homes and shops were flooded, roads blocked and gardens washed away. Two houses were hit by fireballs and several waterspouts were seen. In the area between the northern coastal suburbs of Manly and Narrabeen a cloudburst, lasting 20 minutes, brought 2J inches of rain and some homes and shops were invaded by inches of water and mud. At Narrabeen many areas were under water and a bridge was washed away. At the neighbouring suburb of Collaroy a huge waterspout, moref than 100 feet high, appeared off the beach. At another suburb, Dee Why, some shops were flooded by more than six inches of water. Buses travelling along the road raised “bow waves.” At Manly a number of shops were closed when they were flooded by more than a foot of water. At the North Shore suburb of Chatswoqd, housewives worked frantically to build makeshift levee banks of timber and bricks.

Three trams were derailed near Balmoral Beach when the lines became clogged with metal and earth washed down from surrounding hilly country,