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ABC News
ABC News
National

Thousands still without power after wild winds hit parts of SA yesterday

Crews are working to restore power and clear fallen trees after strong winds caused damage across Adelaide yesterday.

State Emergency Service state duty commander Ian Bonython said there had been almost 400 calls for assistance since yesterday afternoon, when the Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe weather warning for damaging winds.

"Our volunteers along with the CFS and MFS have done an amazing job," he told ABC Radio Adelaide.

He said most of the calls were about fallen trees and branches, and calls were still coming through this morning as residents awoke to damage.

Myles Agent was at work when his partner rang to tell him metal was flying around their yard in Roseworthy.

"By the time I got home she's already figured out that it wasn't our fence, it was our next door neighbour's shed, gone for a big fly and come over and crushed a few things," he said.

He said the shed, about 5 metres by 5 metres, completely flattened a large tree in their yard.

"It was a bit scary to watch, because it stayed as a full shed in the air until it came down," he said.

Amanda Meggison left work yesterday only to discover her car had been crushed by a tree.

She said she never expected a tree of that size to fall down in "suburbia".

"The wind was pretty wild from the get go yesterday morning, but I would never have anticipated this happening, not in a street like this anyway," she said.

She said "shock and adrenaline" kicked in.

"But I've still got me — it's only a car, it's only a material item," she said.

More than 35,000 people have been affected by power outages due to the storm, and about 2,700 still have no power.

Paul Roberts from SA Power Networks said some people may be waiting "well into this evening" for outages to be restored.

"The challenge was we had over 600 outage reports yesterday and they kept coming in ... obviously it takes time to work through 600 reports," he told ABC Radio Adelaide.

Meanwhile, Emergency services are working to reopen the main road to the ferry terminal on Kangaroo Island after yesterday's wild weather.

SA Police said a drainage culvert is flooded on Hog Bay Road at Haines, about halfway between Kingscote and Penneshaw.

Police said a vehicle trying to cross the flooded road became stuck about 4am and had to be freed by a passing motorist.

Police advise motorists to detour via Redbanks Road to Boundary Road, and said Hog Bay Road was expected to remain closed for at least the next 8 to 12 hours.

Police said SeaLink Kangaroo Island was aware and was notifying ferry passengers.

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