Mansions fall into ocean as wild storm lashes east coast of Australia

Sydney, Australia woke on Monday morning to a hellish sight. The city had been lashed by a savage storm during the weekend, with severe erosion destroying some beachside properties.

One mansion, propped on a cliff in the badly-affected area of Collaroy beach, lost its swimming pool to the wild ocean. Other multi-million dollar properties along the same strip lost their balconies and lower levels. 

Many properties appeared to be hanging on precariously as the sun rose on Monday. This area of Sydney is at the third-highest risk from coastal erosion in all of Australia, according to the local council.

The houses were were hit on Sunday with massive waves, causing erosion along the northern beaches region. Fairfax Media reported that the area was smashed with a king tide and eight-metre waves. It is believed residents lost five metres of their properties in the destructive storm. 

The storm was caused by an east coast low, which resulted in an intense low-pressure system bringing strong winds, wild rains and massive waves.

Mitchell Harley, a coastal researcher at the University of New South Wales, posted some epic imagery from a coastal imagery station at Collaroy. 

According to Narrabeen-Collaroy Coastal Monitoring website, this site is only one of a handful in the world with a camera recording the changes over several decades. Harley has been contacted for comment. 

And despite the destruction, there is always someone that sees the glass as half full. Vincent Cotte, a Narebeen resident, stood on his balcony and threw a fishing line out. In good news, he caught a fish. At least that will keep them from starving during the storm.

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