Updated: Monday, 25 February, 2013 at 08:12 UTC
Description
About 70 locals are being evacuated from their homes after a tornado-style storm dumped asbestos and other building materials on parks, backyards and streets in Kiama on the NSW south coast. Gale-force winds uprooted trees, stripped roofs and wiped out buildings as the storm front hit in the early hours of Sunday morning. "Seeing the roof of the fire station missing, seeing mature trees that look like they have been through a mixmaster, seeing blue tarpaulins along a defined corridor: this is an event that you associate with a tornado going through parts of America," said NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell. "What is clear is that it cut a path, it followed a path across the land." More than 170 homes suffered damage of some kind and the State Emergency Services (SES) believes at least 10 homes have been completely destroyed.

Power was yet to be restored to a number of homes on Monday afternoon as emergency volunteers scrambled to put tarpaulins on homes before more rain predicted in the coming days. After observing the devastation from a helicopter, Mr O'Farrell said cabinet was working to declare it a natural disaster zone and he hoped assistance for homeowners, businesses and farmers would be unlocked within 24 hours. He said the damage bill was unknown at this stage. Kiama mayor Brian Petschler told AAP that about 70 people lived in the asbestos exclusion zone created by debris from the town's leisure centre and a number of houses, including one that "blew up" on the edge of town. They were being evacuated on Monday and were expected to be allowed to return home in two days.
[link to hisz.rsoe.hu]