A tornado which hit Ulladulla on the weekend has forced the closure of Ulladulla Library and the Margie Sheedy Sea Pool. Work is ongoing to repair the damage so the facilities can be reopened.
The highly localised storm, which included wind gusts of almost 100 km/h and more than 20 mm of rain in a short period, passed through Ulladulla around 1pm on Saturday, damaging a number of houses and blowing over trees.
“Council staff are working hard to clear debris and repair the library and sea pool so they can be reopened as quickly as possible,” said Shoalhaven Mayor Patricia White.
“Our thoughts go out to those residents whose homes have been damaged and we praise emergency services personnel, especially the SES, for their amazing efforts in helping those affected by the tornado,” Cr White said.
Council staff have closed the sea pool after the tornado ripped the timber entry shelter off its poles, destroying the gate and fence. Temporary fencing has been installed around the affected area.
Work is under way to dismantle the damaged structure and replace fencing. The pool will be cleaned and refilled and the aim is to have the pool reopened by Thursday 8 October.
Ulladulla Library, which is located in the civic centre, is also closed due to extensive water damage to the carpet.
Water damage affected the back half of the library but, due to the hard work of library staff, the book collection is safe. The damage is being assessed and Council hopes to reopen the library on Thursday 8 October.
Customers can still return books in the after-hours chute and via the front access. There was no damage to other areas of the civic centre.
The civic centre café remains closed but will reopen on Wednesday 7 October.
The storm also brought down numerous trees and tree branches at parks and reserves across Ulladulla, including near the sea pool, Ulladulla Harbour, Rotary Park and Ulladulla Civic Centre. Council staff and contractors are removing and disposing of the debris.
