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On 29 Sept a storm approached the regional city from the west-south-west, with an intense hail band 2km wide & extended for 15km. It generated 160km/h wind gusts and 8cm diameter hailstones caused severe damage to over 1,000 buildings (including homes, businesses, nurseries & rural properties) and moderate damage to over 3,000 houses.
The hail dump was most intense between the airport & South Hill. Hail hitting roofs in the city was heard up to 5km away. Traffic was disrupted on the southern end of the city's bypass with an ice layer cover between 10-20cm deep. About 90% of the town's damaged houses required new roofs or roof repairs as part of almost $60m (1996$) insurance bill for houses alone. The hospital, nursing home, university, high school, police station and court house were extensively damaged. Damage was done to about 5,000 cars, with 3000 insured accounting for $20M. Commercial and heritage property losses were also worth many more millions. Several injuries resulted from flying glass and debris. $8M insurance was paid for crop damage but a much larger value was uninsured. The hail dump eased slightly as the storm left the south ridge & began to cross the valley of Dumaresq Creek.
Severe turbulence and three tornadoes at Elong Elong, Gilgandra and Bundella were reported, adding to livestock losses and rural damage. One unusual feature of the Armidale storm - similar to other storms in the district that day (see separate entry, central west NSW) - was the deep reddish/brown colour of the storm clouds, as opposed to the normal green tinge associated with the presence of hailL. There had been reports of atmospheric dust for up to a month before the storm. Many of the hailstones contained gritty nucleii. The amount of dust may well have been a factor to the exceptional side of some hail, as dust can form a convenient nucleus for the 'initiation' of ice pellets in the atmosphere. Substantial wind and hail damage also occurred in neighbouring Tamworth.
Additional information from UNE (The University of New England, Armidale) Geographers' Report. |
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