Sydney Storm Chaos: Driver Trapped Under Fallen Tree as Wild Weather Wreaks Havoc on City
- A driver was miraculously freed after being trapped for over an hour under a fallen tree in Sydney’s inner west
- More than 400 emergency calls were made overnight, with reports of wind damage, fallen trees and debris
- SES volunteers are on the ground, working to clear up the destruction and restore order to the city
In a heart-stopping drama, a driver was freed by rescue crews after becoming trapped under a fallen tree in Sydney’s inner west, as a fast-moving storm cell brought chaos to the city overnight.
The terrifying incident occurred on Burwood Road in Croydon Park, where a car was crushed by an uprooted tree and fallen powerlines, leaving the occupant trapped for over an hour.
“We had live powerlines to deal with, we also had a ruptured gas main,” Fire and Rescue NSW Superintendent Adam Dewberry revealed. “The occupant was trapped in the vehicle for quite some time, just over an hour.”
As the storm swept across Sydney, the NSW State Emergency Service (SES) received an inundation of calls for help, with over 400 requests for assistance made overnight. The majority of these were related to wind damage, fallen trees and debris.
Sydney’s south-west and the Sutherland Shire bore the brunt of the destructive weather, with SES spokesperson Samuel Corby saying, “Our volunteers were quickly out on the field. We mobilised around 500 SES volunteers to support the operational response.”
On Monday afternoon, wind gusts of up to 100 kilometres per hour were recorded at Wattamolla, while large hailstones and heavy rain affected areas including Sutherland, Sydney Olympic Park and Dural.
Sydney Airport was also hit hard, with intense rain and hailstones causing damage to parts of the international terminal. However, in a statement, the airport confirmed it remained open and operational throughout the weather, with flights expected to operate as normal on Tuesday.
As the city begins to clean up from the devastation, SES volunteers are working tirelessly to clear up the remaining jobs and restore order to the city.