Tornado Clean Up - Sunday Telegraph

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
24TH MARCH 2013

BY JESSICA EVANS, BELINDA MERHAB

A massive clean up job is underway for residents along the NSW/ Victorian border after more than 20 people were injured and 20 homes and 100 caravans were destroyed after a devastating tornado tore through the Murray Region. 

Residents were allowed through the Denison County Caravan Park at Mulwala in the state yesterday, two days after caravans were torn to pieces by winds of up to 300km/h. 

"Some of them are destroyed to the point of being completely unrecognisable" said Bernard Kates, SES NSW Regional Controller for the Murray Region. 

"This tornado has kind of scored a bull's eye right on top of this caravan park and its made a real mess. There's a fair bit of shock, a fair bit of amazement, and one or two people who were here when the tornado struck are thinking how lucky they were to escape without injury".

Mr Kates said it was fortunate that the caravan park was mostly empty when the tornado struck around 8pm on Thursday.  Across the border in Victoria, more than 20 homes have been declared uninhabitable as SES crews work around the clock to remove debris and fallen trees. 

SES spokesman Toby Borella said 15 properties had been identified as uninhabitable at Koonoomoo, along with 7 at Bundalong and two at Rutherglen, while many others were significantly damaged. 

Caravans, roofs and trees were sent flying as the category F3 tornado packing winds of between 250-300km/h, ripped through the towns of Bundalong, Yarrawonga, Rutherglen, Koonoomoo and Cobram. 

Twenty people were injured, including two men who were flown to Melbourne hospitals in critical condition. All patients are now in a stable condition.

Premier Denis Napthine said accommodation and financial assistance was being provided to those in need. Prime Minister Julia Gillard described it as a "truly startling event".