Overview
- The storm struck on Monday and brought heavy rain, large hail and damaging winds that locally reached about 96 km/h, ripping roofs, toppling trees and blowing down powerlines across Alice Springs.
- Power and Water reported roughly 9,000 properties lost electricity at the peak, crews restored several thousand customers over the next day, and reporting varies with roughly 2,000 to 4,000 homes still without power as repairs continue.
- Significant damage to buildings and businesses was reported, including major ceiling and roof damage at the DoubleTree by Hilton and flooding and equipment loss at Lasseters Casino, and hundreds of insurance claims have already been lodged.
- Northern Territory emergency services, council crews and extra teams sent from Darwin, Katherine and Tennant Creek are prioritising safe pole and line repairs, road clearance and critical services while warning residents to avoid fallen powerlines and floodwaters.
- The Bureau of Meteorology says the event is an early example of the severe storm season and warns more severe thunderstorms are possible this week, raising concerns about resilience for remote and regional communities.