Alice Springs residents were still picking up from the damage Sunday night caused by a violent “microburst” thunderstorm that tore through the town late Saturday afternoon, leaving homes severely damaged, one school with its roof torn off and at least 80 residences still without power as of last night.

Despite the severity of the storm that came in quickly and caused significant damage before passing through, there were no reports of injuries by Sunday evening, even as some residents saw their roofs collapse in front of them.

Chief Minister Natasha Fyles surveyed the damage on Sunday afternoon, calling it “heartbreaking” and pledging to ensure the community was safe and “that they can access the services they need”.

Estimates for the total costs of damage to the town were still not available on Sunday evening.

The storm, which the Bureau of Meteorology estimated to have reached wind gusts of up to 100 km/h, pulled large trees out of the ground, smashing into homes and cutting power for hundreds of residents at one point.

Yipirinya School had large parts of its roof torn off in the storm, forcing its closure for classes on Monday and possibly longer.

Principal Gavin Morris told the ABC that the school had suffered a “significant setback yesterday afternoon in a three minute microburst”, with damage to classrooms that will “take a long time to get right”.

Other Alice Springs residents told the ABC the storm was “scary” and “devastating” and some had come close to being injured.

Mayor Matt Paterson applauded Emergency Services and Power and Water’s response and the NT Government for working to help clean up the damage.

“It’s also been amazing to see local people putting their hands up to help those in need,” he said on Facebook last night.

“Whether it was an offer to help move fallen trees, or an offer of a comfortable place, this is when Alice Springs is at its best. What a tremendous town we have.”

Damage from Saturday’s storm was still being cleaned up on Sunday. (Photo: Facebook)

A meteorologist from the BOM said the “microburst” thunderstorm had moved through Alice quickly and was typical of localised storms this time of year with “violent bursts of wind” that usually don’t hit a major urban centre.

Ms Fyles said the government was committed to ensuring Alice residents were being assisted during the troubling time.

“Our emergency response teams reacted quickly and have done an amazing job clearing roads and removing debris, helping those with damage to their property and bringing essential services back on line,” she said in a statement Sunday night.

“I want to assure the residents of Central Australia that the NT Government is doing everything we can to make sure that the community is safe and that they can access the services they need.”

SecureNT issued a warning on Sunday advising Alice Springs residents to follow a checklist to ensure they remain safe:

* Beware of fallen powerlines. Always treat powerlines as live and call Power & Water on 1800 245 090.

* Check and be careful of any trees that may be damaged and unstable.

* Listen to your radio for further weather information.

* Check on your neighbours, if safe to do so.

* If you have lost power and food in your refrigerator has defrosted, it is advised to discard it.

* Be vigilant while driving on the roads and mindful that there could be unexpected objects on or near roadways and there are likely to be community members and contractors working on or near roads assisting with the recovery efforts – so please drive slowly and carefully at all times.

“Follow the SecureNT, and the NT Police, Fire and Emergency Services Facebook pages for the latest information and updates,” the statement said.

* If you need emergency help call 000.

* For not urgent police help: 131444

* For SES: 132500