NATASHA Williams arrived at her parents’ Mount Gambier home after a Father’s Day lunch on Sunday to find her car crushed and hidden beneath a huge fallen tree.
While others braced against the wild weather across the South East, concerned the storms would bring down trees or roofs, she was among the people to see the impact and potential for disaster personally.
However, Ms Williams said her family felt lucky the fallen tree did not cause extensive damage to the Chute Street home.
“We drove home from Millicent and as we pulled up to the house I was surprised to see traffic cones surrounding the property, I was in complete shock,” Ms Williams said.
The family’s neighbours said they heard the large tree fall while the family were out.
The tree, destroying the entire front and top of the vehicle, was bowled over by the severe winds on Sunday.
“We were very lucky to not be home at the time and the position of the car actually saved the house as it copped the extent of it,” Ms Williams said.
The home was also left without power due to the incident.
Ms Williams said State Emergency Service volunteers assessed the house on Sunday night to ensure it was safe for the residents to spend the night inside.
“They got into the roof and ensured everything was structurally safe,” she said.
The Adelaide resident had travelled to Mount Gambier to visit her family for Father’s Day, and will now leave without her car.
“The car is now a write-off, however I am able to borrow my sister’s car to make the journey back to Adelaide,” Ms Williams said.
Due to the tree’s placement and size, Ms Little said Mount Gambier City Council had regularly monitored the safety of the tree over the years.
Meanwhile, yesterday’s continuing wild weather caused an additional tree to fall over at a Tarpeena property, with residents Peter and Elaine Lee alerted to the scene after hearing a loud bang.
“I thought I better have a look outside and the entire tree had fallen onto the shed, covering the clothes line,” Ms Lee said.
Mr Lee said it was fortunate the tree did not fall onto the house.
Wandilo Country Fire Service (CFS) Third Lieutenant Branko Sajevec said the clean-up of the wreckage would take a few hours.
“It is very lucky the tree missed the house and only partly damaged the rainwater tank,” Mr Sajevec said.
