NSW Fire and Rescue say they have completed asbestos remedial work in the southern Sydney suburb of Kurnell after a .
Locals, many of whom are still without power and sewerage, were warned not to sift through the wreckage of Wednesday's freak storms, which hit Kurnell the hardest when winds reached record speeds of up to 213km/h.
The damage is estimated to run into the tens of millions of dollars. But the biggest cost has been to the shocked residents who have been left heart broken.
"It's just picked out houses, it's mowed them down ... all of us are quite in shock on the devastation we've seen," NSW Premier Mike Baird said on Thursday after meeting locals whose homes have been destroyed.
Mr Baird says he's just grateful no one died.
Christmas food has been left rotting in fridges, flimsy tarps have covered gaping holes in homes and locals have clung to eskies to cool off in the heat.
About 500 homes and businesses remain without power in the area, an Ausgrid spokesman said on Thursday evening.
At a community meeting, residents expressed frustration at the lack of electricity while one mother said she feared for her three children's health because of the asbestos. Experts said locals were safe so long as they didn't disturb the debris.
Some people struck by yesterday's tornado in Sydney's south could be without power for weeks.Just a week from... Posted by SBS News on Thursday, 17 December 2015
Sutherland Shire has hired contractors to pick up stray asbestos pieces, glue has been sprayed in homes and streets to keep the asbestos contained and cars leaving the area continue to be hosed down.
"We have also commenced air quality testing," said Police Assistant Commissioner Michael Fuller.
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The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has officially declared the storm a natural catastrophe.
Tasman Street's Penny Trotman, 57, said she was still in shock after parts of her home tore apart and her big BBQ was dumped in the pool. "I didn't know what I was doing, I was running around like a chook with my head cut off," she told AAP.
Glass shattered around Ms Trotman as she tried to find a safe spot in her home.
"I went to get the door and the door was in the lounge room and I just freaked after that, I started crying," she said.
Sutherland Shire Mayor Carmelo Pesce has joined locals asking the NSW government and federal treasurer, local MP Scott Morrison, for financial assistance.
Bridges Street resident Kylee McNeilly asked Mr Morrison to immediately send disaster relief funds to those affected.
Ms McNeilly said she has lost the back of her house with an entire wall ripped off and dumped on her neighbour's backyard.
"We're struggling, so the government's got to come and help us," she said after meeting Mr Morrison, who surveyed the damage.
The NSW SES have received 700 jobs across NSW and less than 200 jobs remain outstanding, primarily in the Kurnell area.
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