Perth was hit by a once-in-five-years storm on Sunday night that tore through the city with enough force to uproot trees, bring down power lines and flood roads. By Monday morning, about 70,000 homes were without power, and emergency crews were still dealing with the damage across several suburbs.
The storm’s reach was visible from Peppermint Grove to North Perth. A massive whitegum tree crashed onto a home in Forrest Road, while another large eucalyptus tree fell on a house in the same suburb. In Applecross, a light pole came down on Duncraig Road, and in Subiaco a large tree fell across Hay Street and Stubbs Terrace, partially blocking traffic lanes.
Road closures added to the disruption. Stirling Highway in North Fremantle was shut because of flooding, and Riverside Drive in the city was closed after the Swan River broke its banks. Riverside Drive between Barrack Square and Victoria Avenue was also closed overnight, a sign of how quickly the rain and tidal surge pushed water into parts of the central city.
The storm also hit the skies. Some flights coming into Perth were diverted to Kalgoorlie, and damaging winds affected take-off and landing for several aircraft overnight. Emergency services were called after a power line fell across Kadina and Charles Streets in North Perth, another reminder of how widely the system spread through the metro area.
What made Monday unusual was the gap between the official warning and the conditions on the ground. The severe weather warning was cancelled, but high tide warnings were still in place for coastal areas including Perth and Mandurah, and alerts remained across the city. The message was that the worst of the wind had passed, even as parts of the coastline were still under watch.
For commuters, homeowners and coastal residents, the immediate problem was not the wording of the warning but the lingering impact: dark homes, blocked roads and fallen trees. The unanswered question now is how long the outages and high tide warnings will last as crews clear debris and restore services across Perth.
