HIGH GALE AT WESTPORT

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27429, 16 August 1954, Page 10

HIGH GALE AT WESTPORT

Damage To 300 Homes COMPLETE POWER FAILURE (From Out Own Reporter) WESTPORT, August 15. Widespread damage was caused in the Buller last night by the most severe storm ever experienced in the district. It left a wide trail of debris from 300 or more houses at Westport and a considerable number in the country. The electric power supply was affected in most parts of the area. There was a complete black-out .at Westport from about 9 o’clock last night and supply had not been restored in some places this evening. Power poles and wires were brought down in large numbers and the Post and Telegraph Department suffered serious damage to circuits over a wide area. Fortunately the first break in the power system occurred between Fairdown and Birchfield—a clear area—as this morning there were many cases of formerly live wires broken and hanging over the streets of Westport. It •will take the Buller Power Board some weeks to replace and repair the damaged poles. Some were snapped off at the tops and there is a long line of poles between Fairdown and Granity swept on 'to an angle by the wind. The gale maintained a force of about 80 miles an hour between 7 o’clock last night and 7 a.m. today. The effects were terrifying to some persons living in two-storeyed buildings, which seemed to sway in the wind. Many occupants left such buildings to seek safer places to stay the night. It was necessary to call out workmen

to repair damage to the Buller Hospital at the height of the storm. The rain, which fell heavily early in the night, abated or else the damage would have been much more serious. Rooftops and tiles were lifted from houses in several townships. In Westport almost every block showed evidence of the storm in damaged buildings, flattened fences, radio masts and aerials torn away, and broken chimneys. In some cases chimneys fell through or onto other parts of buildings, causing further damage. At least 19 private garages or outbuildings were destroyed at Westport by the gale directly, or when struck by falling trees, many of which were uprooted. Tree Falls on Car

In Wakefield street, a light car owned by Mr George Spencer was almost completely destroyed when a big' pine tree fell across the garage in which it was housed. Nearby, in Brougham street, a Chinese market gardener, Mr Young Shack, had his glasshouse, valued at £lOOO, smashed to The gale cut a e wide swathe through the Westport Native Domain, which is often admired by visitors. A large rata, pine, and gum tree reserve was almost ruined. It was the same with the trees surrounding the Technical College property. Trees growing on the racecourse, Patterson Park, the attractive O’Conor Home, .and Victoria square (Westport’s central reserve) were also severely damaged. It was impossible for horses to train on Patterson Park this morning as the broken t/?es had fallen on the track in many places. The business area of Westport, Palmerston street, was strewn with pieces of material broken from spoutings, roofs, and other parts of buildings. The grocery shop of Mr W. H. Roche lost its veranda.

Farm Buildings Lost Irt the lower reaches of the Buller gorge there were more. broken trees. Some houses were lucky to escape complete destruction. Farmers in the Sergeant’s Hill-Fairdown area suffered perhaps most damage of all, Messrs R. Lowe, S. Price, and others losing cowsheds and barns. Winter fodder was scattered over the adjoining paddocks. Mr Price’s valuable Jersey bull was injured by a falling tree branch. At waimangaroa. Mr F. Hawes’s garage was lifted bodily and crashed against the nearby house occupied by Mr S. Staples. Mr D. Bell’s house at Granity was unroofed and there were pieces of iron, tiles, and woodwork missing from many other homes between Westport and Seddonville. There was no town milk supply today from the Westport depot as no power was available, but it was possible to operate the plant tonight for late deliveries to be made. Power Board and Post and Telegraph Department employees worked hard all through the day to restore the services. There was limited telephone communication between Westport and other districts, but the main town was completely isolated all. day from the Hilltop country township which, strangely enough, did not suffer mueh damage from the storm as those on *