Yass SES tasked to tornado

WEATHER: While the spectacular lightning show and jagged hailstones provided Saturday night entertainment for some, it created more than a few call-outs for the Yass SES.

Luckily the Valley didn’t fare as badly as Forbes Creek, where Yass SES crews were called to help deal with the devastation of a tornado at 2.30am Sunday.

Duty officer Pete Chatwin said crews had been “extremely busy” during the storms of the past week.

“On Saturday we had teamed up with the Murrumbateman RFS [Rural Fire Service] to make sure the public and the surrounding areas were safe from fallen trees and debris,” he said.

“One job at a house in Murrumbateman had trees over power lines, and the power went out on the main feeder line to house.

“There were trees over roads that we had to cut up around Murrumbateman too.

“There was a lot of co-ordination behind the scenes, so thanks to Murrumbateman RFS and Yass Valley Council for that.”

Saturday night’s lightning storm as seen from Shearsby Crescent in Yass. PHOTO: Alex Tewes

He said Yass fared okay on the night with only a few fallen tress blocking roads on the outskirts of town, at Yass Cemetery and at Hatton Park.

On Sunday the Yass SES attended Forbes Creek after a tornado passed through causing a trail of destruction in its path.

“It was utter devastation. We had eight people go up for the day.”

Yass SES crews were called to assist the tornado-devastated Forbes Creek area. PHOTO: Yass SES

“We were tasked with tarping a house that had lost its roof completely.

“It is pure devastation in that area.”

He said various crews would be cleaning up there for at least two weeks.

Yass SES tarped devastated homes in Forbes Creek at the weekend. PHOTO: Yass SES

“There’s three houses in that lot that were totally destroyed.”

The Bureau of Meteorology said the tornado hit at 2.30am.

Yass SES crews were called to assist the tornado-devastated Forbes Creek area. PHOTO: Yass SES

“It’s classified as a tornado or a windstorm; there’s no such thing as what the media are calling a ‘mini’ tornado.

“We saw pine trees that were like matchsticks, and these are 80-year-old pine trees we’re talking about, that now like broken match sticks.”

Yass SES has been busy cleaning up fallen trees on power lines and roads. PHOTO: Yass SES

Clean up operation will continues for weeks at Forbes Creek. PHOTO: Yass SES