An intense storm with wind topping 100km/h has carved a path of destruction across Goulburn.
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The wild weather, which started just after 8pm Tuesday, felled tall trees, cut power to more than 1300 homes and damaged houses and vehicles.
Essential Energy crews scrambled as powerlines fell over residential streets. Goulburn SES warned motorists to stay off the road due to the danger. Some drivers reported almost driving over the lines, given street light outages.
Police and the council assisted in partial street closures.
Goulburn Airport registered a peak 106km/h wind gust at 8.17pm, which dropped to 61km/h by 8.50pm.
Argyle SES cluster commander Bob Bell said a large tree fell across Cowper Street, between Verner and Montague Streets. It hit a house and blocked the driveway, prompting the block's closure.
Nearby, in Montague Street, the wind uprooted a large gum tree and a palm tree, which toppled onto a section of a house's roof.
SES crews rendered both areas safe but an arborist was required to deal with the trees on Wednesday.
Powerlines were down in these streets and nearby Verner Street. In Faithfull Street, another large tree blew down beside Victoria Park, toppling more powerlines and necessitating the street's closure in that section. SES and NSW Fire and Rescue were on scene.
The same occurred at the western end of Clifford Street and at Wollondilly Public School, a tree was reported to have fallen across a fence.
In Glebe Avenue, a tall gum adjoining Manfred Park fell across the thoroughfare onto powerlines. The impact bent a power pole 45 degrees at the other end of the street, sparking a precarious repair operation for Essential Energy crews. SES personnel were busy chain-sawing the tree and clearing it from the road.
Not far away, in southern Auburn Street, resident Andrew Page surveyed the damage after a tall gum tree fell on top of his car, parked beside the house.
The former broadcast journalist said the vehicle was a write-off.
"Things could be worse; I could have been sitting in it at the time," he quipped while watching an SES crew clear branches.
The SES also reported a felled powerline dangling in a tree in Macalister Drive.
Mr Bell said 16 personnel attended 10 callouts up until 10.30pm.
The Lanigan Lane SES depot, like many other places, was left without power. A large section of an outer shed roof also blew off.
By midnight, some 310 premises were still without power.
Both SES and Essential Energy crews will continue the clean-up on Wednesday.
Amid the strong winds, Goulburn Airport recorded 14.8mm of rain from 7.30pm to 11.30pm.
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