State Emergency Service (SES) Volunteers from the Macleay Valley didn't think twice about heading to Port Macquarie when they head about the wild storm that hit Port Macquarie on Friday afternoon, February 3.
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SES crews from Kempsey, Gladstone and South West Rocks were quick to roll up their sleeves and travel to the neighboring town on Friday to assist in the immediate response to the natural disaster.
Kempsey SES unit commander Bill Sanders said it was "quite a slight" when they arrived.
"It was devastating to see the damage it had caused, lots of roofs flown off and trees knocked down, it's going to take a long time for Port Macquarie to recover from this event," he said.
"One of the things that stood out to me was seeing the roofs off in the main streets of the CBD... that storm also had a massive impact on the wildlife as well, it was hard to see birds lose their nests and trees.
"The good thing though is that we didn't see any loss of life and no serious injuries.
"For example, we saw a Norfolk Island Pine fall across four lanes of roadway and it didn't hit anyone, that was the best possible outcome we could've had."
The crews worked long hours on the weekend, partnering with Port Macquarie SES and other emergency services to complete more than 200 jobs.
"I'm very proud of the efforts of our volunteers, there were some big and difficult jobs that they completed in very trying conditions," Mr Sanders said.
"It was very hot and humid so it made it a bit more difficult but everyone did their job well and it was a great community effort all round.
"It's was just a great effort from everyone to assist the community in getting back on track, it's what we're here for."
Mr Sanders said it's been a busy few weeks for the local SES volunteers, who have only recently helped a man who jumped off a 14 metre high cliff on Big Hill Trail and assisted two people stuck in a cave as the tide was coming in.
Mr Sanders said the recent events highlight the need for more volunteers to join their dedicated unit.
"We would love to see more people join, particularly someone who could take on an administrative role," he said. "We've had a busy few weeks so anyone who would like to join our team is strongly encouraged to come and visit us."
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