MONDAY UPDATE:
It was over in less than a minute.
Malcolm McDonald was celebrating his granddaughter’s first birthday in his Kirrawee backyard on Saturday when the wind picked up and the first drops of rain hit.
Moving the 50-strong crowd inside, it was only seconds later that a 75-metre tall tree began to fall towards the house.
A neighbouring tree stopped it from smashing into the glass sunroom.
Instead, it fell in the opposite direction.
The Nyrang Place resident said they were lucky not to be injured.
‘‘We were standing under the tree only seconds before. I was sure someone was under there,’’ he said.
‘‘I’m not a religious person but there was something there helping us.’’
SATURDAY:
THE SES responded to 494 calls for help over the weekend across southern Sydney, most of those were for trees down and roof damage.
Sutherland Shire SES received 104 calls for assistance on Saturday afternoon as the Sydney storm front passed through .
Residents reported "twister like conditions" with trees down, damage and two houses in Bonnet Bay and Yarrawarrah losing roofs.
Six local SES teams were in the field, and others from Randwick, Camden, Rockdale and two Rural Fire Service teams were also called in.
Reader Mal Lewis thanked everyone who helped clear Gymea Bay Road after trees fell during the storm. "It just proves community spirit is alive and well," he said.
Residents should call 132 500 for flood and storm damage assistance and 000 for life-threatening emergencies.
Did you have storm damage in your suburb?