Violent Damage By Storm At Cobden

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30826, 11 August 1965, Page 14

Violent Damage By Storm At Cobden

(New Zealand Press Association)

GREYMOUTH, August 10.

A violent freak storm, described as a cyclone, a fireball, earthquake, whirlwind, waterspout and frightening experience, caused extensive damage where it struck in Cobden tonight.

It first struck the farm property of the Keeney family on the coast about 720 p.m. Mr M. Keeney said he saw a vivid fireball about the size of a soccer ball strike his hayshed and barn, smashing the big building to smithereens.

As far as could be ascertained nobody was injured. Mr Keeney said it was the most uncanny sight he had ever experienced. He was astounded that it did not set fire to the huge iron and wooden structure. The sheet of flame then crossed the street to the home of a Post Office workman, Mr E. Payn, and wrenched the tiles from one side of the roof.

The next damage was almost a mile away where the home of Mr T. Neame, of Bright street, was fairly extensively damaged with a major portion of the roof tom away. Two buildings away the iron double doorway on the side of Nimmo Brothers’ grocery was wrenched out and deposited in a neighbouring property. Two chimneys at the home of Mr B. Roswell were demolished as was part of a fence and a TV aerial. Mrs Roswell was home with their young daughter. Her husband was on duty at the Greymouth Police Station and she suffered a severe fright. Mrs Roswell was using a washing-machine. It was lifted into the air and the water sprayed violently. Chimneys Snapped Fences were demolished and two chimneys snapped clean off just above roof level at the adjacent residence of Miss K. Rooney. Glass panels were shattered in a door and soot was sprayed inside from the fallen chimneys. People rushed outdoors. Mos* said it was the most terrifying experience they had encountered. Others who live not far from the path of the damage were unaware anything unusual had happened. Mr J. Nimmo, who lives in a direct line little more than 150 yards from his store, did not know until someone rushed to his home to tel) him the door had been tom from the shop. The telephone was out of commission in the Rooney home yet the power lines were intact and a neighbour three houses away had continuous telephone service and no property damage. There was no sign of damage on the opposite side of the street. Street Sign A street sign was wrenched off a power pole and was found in a nearby excavation ditch between the Roswell and Rooney homes. Mrs Neame said she had just got out of the bath when she heard a roaring noise and felt the ground under her tremble. She thought it was an earthquake. She went in to get her young daughter, Christine, who was asleep.

Mrs Neame said there was a loud explosion. It was as if gelignite had been set off under the floor. A large pane of glass from a nearby window crashed across her teen-age son, Terry, who was in bed. He jumped out of bed and went uninjured to the kitchen. “I thought it was going to be a repetition of the Murchison earthquake. Our house

trembled violently. The whole ground seemed to be shaking," said Mrs Muriy. She said there was a blinding flash when the explosion occurred. It seemed to travel between the house and garage. A caravan was turned on to its roof.

Mrs Muriy said the front of a neighbour’s house was completely covered in mud as if it had been pelted by children. All in her. home were so terrified they felt as if they were rooted to the floor.

Neighbouring property had minor structural damage and fences were demolished.

In the backyard of Mr D. Bannister, a pile of 20ft by 6in by lin boards were swept away and could not be found in the neighbourhood.