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Home / World

Australian storms: Sydney mansions swallowed by the sea

news.com.au
5 Jun, 2016 10:58 PM2 mins to read

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Houses on Sydney northern beaches have been swept into the sea. Photo / Damian Shaw/ Daily Mail Australia

Houses on Sydney northern beaches have been swept into the sea. Photo / Damian Shaw/ Daily Mail Australia

Huge seas have swept away the yards of multi-million dollar homes on Sydney's northern beaches.

Up to 10-15m of waterfront land was washed away. Residents are now returning to their homes to assess the damage after being evacuated.

In total seven homes and a unit block were evacuated as 8m waves battered the coast.

The massive storm and huge swells have knocked parts of these houses and a pool halfway into the ocean. Photo / Damian Shaw/ Daily Mail Australia
The massive storm and huge swells have knocked parts of these houses and a pool halfway into the ocean. Photo / Damian Shaw/ Daily Mail Australia

"One of the properties along that strip actually lost an entire in-ground pool, which had moved above 5m out to sea," Inspector Jason Reimer told the ABC.

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One resident detailed the destruction to her property.

"Within three hours we had a garden that was just totally destroyed - gone," a woman told Network Seven as she looked at her home from police tape.

She described how the east coast low combined with a king tide as the water got "closer and closer".

"I never thought it would be this bad," she said.

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A combination of the tide, the storm and the direction of the wind meant the beachside homes were the target.

A number of sinkholes have now opened up along the coastline threatening homes with more damage and collapse.

Emergency crews are on site trying to save the beachfront properties.

One resident told the ABC: "There is no beach at Collaroy.

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"I wouldn't be calling it Collaroy Beach anymore, I'd be calling it Collaroy Point."

Resident Zara Silk nearly collapsed when she saw her home. Photo / News Corp
Resident Zara Silk nearly collapsed when she saw her home. Photo / News Corp

The high tides, fanned by the weekend's monster storm, have eroded huge swathes of Narrabeen and Collaroy beaches. Some properties lost up to 5m of land.

Parts of Beach Club Collaroy also collapsed into the sea as the huge swell smashed the Sydney coastline.

One Collaroy resident, Matt Kemp, posted footage of the carnage, which shows a pool washing into the ocean.

a quick clip where you can see a backyard pool washing into sea in front of our place. I also saw power poles, wheelie bins and roofs and heaps of garden furniture washing past. Pretty crazy. No rain for ages and then whoosh, have a bit of that!!! The coloured lights are the police and SES. They are busy securing a sink hole. licensing@storyful.com

Posted by Matt Kemp on Sunday, 5 June 2016

"I also saw power poles, wheelie bins and roofs and heaps of garden furniture washing past," Mr Kemp wrote on Facebook.

"Pretty crazy. No rain for ages and then whoosh, have a bit of that!!!"

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Day breaks on #Collaroy Beach after storm surge Brough 8m waves pic.twitter.com/BC1yZPKRAi

— Rachel Pupazzoni (@RachelPupazzoni) June 5, 2016

Heavy surf has smashed the Collaroy Surf Club, causing thousands of dollars damage to building & skis @7NewsSydney pic.twitter.com/5t9aZ8sFGI

— Ashlee Mullany (@AshleeMullany) June 5, 2016
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