As many of you know we had a massive storm come through the outback of South Australia and hit Coober Pedy just 2 weeks ago. The maximum winds were recorded at 135 kph (approx. 85 mph) and the peak lasted for about 20 minutes. Although at the time it was still daylight we couldnt see the buildings across the other side of the road for the dust and dirt nor could we see most of our back yard. Both house and gallery were filled with dust. Needless to say, we gathered the kangaroos inside, all except for Francesca who refused to budge and took shelter behind the caravan. We came through this storm relatively undamaged but the Opal Inn Hotel (our local pub) didnt fare so well. The storm ripped the roof off the main part and all the first floor (roof, brickwork and walls) which was the private residence. Extensive damage was also done to the ground floor section of the pub, including reception, guests lounge bar, formal dining room and kitchen. Other buildings in town suffered damage as well but this was by far the worst. Its always a bit scary when we see a storm approaching. It is usually a wall of dust and dirt but we have no idea what is already flying around inside that mass.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Nov 2014 19:19:19 +0000