A SHARP STORM

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 60, Issue 4321, 23 August 1950, Page 5

A SHARP STORM

SERVICES DISLOCATED POWER LINES DOWN VERY HEAVY WIND AND RAIN A sharp storm with wind at gale force and heavy rain struck Paeroa and surrounding district about midnight on Monday and played havoc with power and telephone wires in some localities in the area. Some idea of the force of the wind can be gained by the fact that-on one farm at Turua 120 large trees, mostly gums and pines were blown over and in falling lifted a water main up in the air. Nearby a tree, which fell on a yearling, crushed it to death. • In the Awaiti and Pekapeka road areas no less than 80 telephone connections were put out of action. Eight long spans of wire were levelled, and several telephone arms were torn from the poles. Most of the damage was the result of trees falling across the lines or of broken branches, which .were snapped from trees and carried away by the wind on to the telephone lines. At Kaihere quite a number of power poles were broken or blown over and the result was to cause considerable dislocation in the supply of electric power to settlers in that locality. The Thames Valley ElectricPower Board’s repair gang was promptly dispatched to repair thje damage and has done everything possible to relieve the position by making temporary supplies available wherever possible. At Netherton, particularly on the old road, several power poles were broken or blown down by the fotce of the wind and repairs have been effected as quickly as possible. Kerepehi suffered no damage to power lines but telephone communications were very much dislocated. Three Paeroa-Auckland lines were completely disrupted and were not cleared till 10.30 yesterday morning. In addition on the Pekapeka road some eight or nine private lines were put out of use by the storm and it is understood that considerable work is involved in properly repairing the damage.