Tornado blast

Press, 12 October 1988, Page 1

Tornado blast

PA Auckland A tornado tore through west Auckland just before noon yesterday, blowing down trees and ripping off roof tiles. A Henderson resident said the tornado sounded like the London blitz, as two windows in her house shattered. Firemen covered many of the damaged roofs with tarpaulins and workmen cut up a tree which blocked traffic. One resident said more than 20 houses were damaged. The tornado dealt a blow to the 1990 Commonwealth Games swimming pool, which is now not likely to open next month as scheduled. Heavy steel roofing panels were ripped off the nearly completed pool complex in Henderson and dumped in a nearby stream, buckled and unusable. The ill winds brought particularly bad news for the Mayor of Henderson, Mr Assid Corban, who watched from the adjacent council offices as the tornado struck his pet project. “It just ripped off the panels as though they were pieces of paper,” he said. “It is a major setback.” Mr Corban said the rest of the $14.4 million complex escaped serious damage, although some side panels were bent. It was highly unlikely that the 10 insulated roof panels lost would be replaced in time for the scheduled November 5 opening.