Hundreds evacuated after Sydney storms

An apartment complex had to be evacuated after its roof was torn off in Sydney's wild weather, forcing up to 300 people out of their homes.

Emergency services on Allfords Point Road in Menai

Western Sydney and Canberra were the worst affected by storms and the SES is expecting a busy day. (AAP)

Hundreds of people had to be evacuated from a Sydney apartment complex after wild storms ripped off the roof and caused water to pour inside.

Between 200 and 300 people live in the Lidcombe apartments which suffered damage on during Saturday night's storms.

The SES was able to carry out minor repairs but it's unknown if that work was enough to allow residents of about 60 apartments to return home safely. There were fears about water getting into the electrical system after the roof blew off.

A home at Forbes Creek, east of Canberra, is believed to have been severely damaged and is possibly uninhabitable.

SES and NSWRFS volunteers are removing debris from nearby roads as they try to reach the village where five properties are believed to be affected.

Power was cut to more than 50,000 homes and businesses and on Sunday afternoon Endeavour Energy said of its 25,000 customers who lost their connections, only about 1000 remained without electricity.

About 1200 calls for assistance were made to the SES after the storms and on Sunday afternoon about 100 bigger jobs, which will require assistance from contractors, were still to be completed.

Meanwhile, NSW Fair Trading commissioner Rod Stowe has warned people that dodgy tree loppers are out scamming residents around Sydney's west, promising work for a fee they claim will be refunded by the SES or insurance companies.

"The SES has confirmed this is a scam," Mr Stowe said on Sunday.

"They have not engaged any contractors to undertake work on behalf of the agency, and they have also notified NSW police of these reports."

Any contractors engaged by the SES will deal with the group directly and won't ask people for money, Mr Campbell said.

The SES also warned against arrogance and rash decisions made under pressure that are major factors behind why people, mainly old and young men in 4WDs, drive into dangerous floodwaters.

Authorities are now developing ways to minimise the need for rescues.

SES volunteers on Saturday conducted about 20 rescues of people, most of whom ran into trouble while driving across flooded roads in Sydney's west, prompting spokesman Phil Campbell to reiterate the group's warning to avoid such areas.

"Often people, when they're in a flood situation, stop thinking rationally," he told AAP.

"There is a certain element of bravado there too."

The SES is conducting research to better target its warnings at the two main groups of offenders - men under 25 and older than 65 - who mostly get stuck while behind the wheel of a 4WD.

About 75 per cent of those needing to be rescued after driving into floodwaters are male and the fatality rate hasn't altered much since the mid 1980s.

"We're obviously not getting the message through as effectively as we would like to," Mr Campbell said.


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Source: AAP



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