This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Australia, which closed in 2021.

South Australia Is Still Dealing With Severe Weather, So Here Is What We Know

Flooding, gale-force winds, evacuations.

The statewide power outage has remained at the forefront of political discussion on Thursday, as pollies debate whether renewable energy was responsible for the state-wide power outage.

However, as the war of words continues, the state is still enduring severe weather as flood warnings are raised across a number of towns and thousands remain without power.

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens has urged South Australians to stay off the roads unless travel is necessary and told travellers to exercise caution while in transit.

The west coast of South Australia is being hit with gale-force winds and a number of major rivers are flooding.

An emergency warning was issued on Thursday afternoon for Port Pirie, with the State Emergency Service urging residents to evacuate the town due to likely coastal flooding and strong winds. The Port Pirie jetty is now completely underwater.

The SES also said Adelaide could be hit with the strongest winds the city has ever experienced, which the Bureau of Meteorology predicted could be as high as 140 kilometres per hour.

The main areas affected include Adelaide, Port Lincoln, Port Wakefield, Whyalla, Renmark, Ceduna and Leigh Creek.

Relief and recovery centres have opened in towns along the west coast of the state in Port Pirie, Port August, Whyalla, Clare, Port Lincoln and Ceduna.

Additional relief centres are located here:

Port Pirie: Lions Football Club, Mary Elie Street

Port Augusta: West Football Club, Gardiner Ave

Whyalla: Whyalla Hockey Association, Searle Street

Clare: Valleys Lifestyle Centre, 180 Main North Road

Port Lincoln: Ravendale Sporting Complex, 40 Stamford Terrace

Ceduna: Ceduna GP Plus Centre, 3 Eyre Highway

The Recovery Hotline is 1800 302 787

The mid north, Mount Lofty Ranges and Adelaide metropolitan district are now under flood watch while flood warnings have been issued for a number of major rivers including the Torrens, Gawlyer and Onkaparinga.

Electranet said thousands may remain without power until the weekend, with three of the four transmission lines between Adelaide and the north of SA damaged in the storms on Wednesday, as well as 22 transmission towers across the network.

In a statement, Electranet urged South Australians who see damaged powerlines or fallen infrastructure to contact Electra net on 08 8404 7966.

The South Australian Government announced emergency relief grants of up to $700 for South Australian households on Thursday.

South Australians eligible for the grants include anyone without power from 3:50pm on Wednesday until 12pm on Thursday.

Anyone who has been injured during the extended power outage is also eligible.

One of the destroyed transmission towers.
Wendy Speck
One of the destroyed transmission towers.

The Bureau of Meteorology said an intense low pressure system is moving east of Adelaide towards Victoria, and is expected to hit western Victoria by late Thursday.

In South Australia a secondary low is expected to cause further damage and heavy rainfall, which was moving over Kangaroo Island towards the central part of the state on Thursday evening.

The South Australian recovery hotline is 1800 302 787 if you have been affected by the weather and need information about recovery services and support.

Close
This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Australia. Certain site features have been disabled. If you have questions or concerns, please check our FAQ or contact support@huffpost.com.