Adelaide struck by freak storm

Press, 4 December 1978, Page 1

Adelaide struck by freak storm

NZPA Adelaide Insurance assessors are expected to be inundated with claims this week after a freak storm which

struck Adelaide at the wee k-e nd, causing thousands of dollars worth of damage to property. State emergency service squads were put into action when the storm reached its peak late on Saturday with winds gusting up to 49 knots. The police received reports from all flver the city of buildings and houses being unroofed, power lines and trees brought down, windows smashed, and fences flattened.

The police said several cars were almost wrecked when big trees were uprooted and thrown against the vehicles.

The Electricity Trust called out all its emergency crews to restore power to at least nine suburbs blacked out by the storm.

Life-savers, who were kept busy all along the metropolitan coast, rescued three children at Semaphore when a rubber raft was blown from Under them.

The South Australian sea rescue squadron was called out after more than

30 yachts were reported to have capsized off the

Many boats owners also reported that their craft had broken their moorings during the storm. A Melbourne couple, Beverley and Kevin Morris, had to dive for their lives when iron roofing from a block of flats was blown into a swimming pool they were using at a motel in the

seaside suburb of Glenelg. The roof leap-frogged a section of the motel, split in two, and crashed into the pool as the pair dived for safety. The police have received no report of serious injury.

“Adelaide was hit bv a second storm yesterday afternoon which overturned dozens of small boats and forced Adelaide and Parafield airports to shut down. The sea rescue squadron said that about 40 yachts capsized when the storm hit but all crews managed to reach safety.

However, the squadron’s fleet and a police launch were searching for five boats reported missing.