TRAIL OF HAVOC

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXI, Issue 279, 9 November 1931, Page 7

TRAIL OF HAVOC

FOLLOWS TERRIFIC STORM DAMAGE IN NEW SOUTH WALES. PHENOMENAL FALL O FHAIL. (United Press Association—By Cable— Copyright.) Received 9, 10.25 a.m.) Sydney, Nov. 9. Yeaterday a storm of tremendous fury swept across the eastern half of the State, leaving behind it a trail of death and desolation. It was heralded by a unique cloud formation which the State meteorogist considers unprecedented in character. At one stage the rain fell at the rate of 420 points an hour and the wind reached a velocity of til miles an hour. An old swagman sheltering under a bridge at Harden was drowned in the creek. A station hand at Cowra was killed when mustering sheep, and his tody was found half-buried by hail. Two other country people were struck dead by lightning. A fam.ly at Deo Why had a remarkable escape from death when their hoi j was struck and practically demolished by fireballs. In two suburbs there was damage to houses, and gardens everywhere wcio ruined owing to the density of the hail.

The storm also unroofed houses and garages, toppled chimneys and sank harbour craft. In the Surrey Hills the hail was banked up to a depth of two feet, while at otner places it was reported to be four feet high. The trams on North Shore were prevented from running and trains were also delayed when lightning struck the railway insulators at Fairfield. An earlier cable stated:— A fierce southely thunderstorm, accompanied by heavy hail and torrential lain, swept the city and harbour on. Sunday attersoon, causing considerable damage by flooding in various suburbs.