DESTRUCTIVE STORMS

Taranaki Daily News, 14 April 1932, Page 7

DESTRUCTIVE STORMS

GREAT HAVOC IN AUSTRALIA

PHENOMENAL RAINFALL. A' fierce thunderstorm which swept 'the central and south coast of New South Wales on the afternoon of April 2 did severe damage, principally by hail, at Maroota, an orchard district on the Hawkesbury River, between Windsor and Wiseman’s Ferry. The storm left a trail of destruction a mile wide. The entire crops of 12 citrus orchards were destroyed, and the hail was so large that large lemons were cut into two pieces. Numerous passion fruit vines were pounded to pulp, and many bean and pea crops were ruined.

After the storm had passed, hail was piled in heaps 2ft. high in places. At Mr. Snelgrove’s home the iron roof was pierced, and a motor-car left out in the open had its hood torn to ribbons. Many birds, including several kookaburras, were found dead in the bush, and deaths occurred among poultry. Damage is estimated at thousands of pounds. Torrential rain fell at Liverpool, . 22 miles from Sydney. The Hume Highway was flooded for some distance, and motorists who drove through the water were drenched. Market gardeners in low-lying areas suffered losses when storm water from the creeks overflowed into the beds, uprooting plants and vines, and depositing a large quantity of silt. One gardener lost the greater part of a crop of 16,000 cauliflowers. A spectacular display was provided when lightning struck the telephone wires at Moorbank.

The lightning was particularly severe on the south coast. A tree was struck close to Mr. Tomlinson’s residence at Port Hacking, portion flying through an open window, but no material damage tfas done. VERY VIVID LIGHTNING.

At Wollongong, 49 miles from Sydney, the storm was the worst experienced for many years. The lightning was vivid, and several residents had narrow escapes. Arthur Trueman, a teller in the Bank of New South Wales, received a severe shock, and was knocked to the floor while attending to his duties. He was taken to his home in an unconscious condition, but later rallied, although suffering severely from shock. At Mr. Vorn Wilson’s residence, a wireless set was wrecked. Mrs. Morrow, while attending to her household duties, was thrown to the floor. She was found to be suffering from shock. In a number of business houses, telephones were put out of order, and electric motors were shot off, as if struck by a bomb. Very little rain accompanied the disturbance. A fierce electrical storm swept Windsor, Richmond, and surrounding districts, 30 or 40 miles from Sydney, shortly after 5 o’clock on the afternoon of April 4. Torrential rain was accompanied by heavy hail, vivid lightning and heavy thunder. Later a heavy downpour caused the flooding of business premises at Liverpool. At Richmond a private gauge showed that 4 Jin. of rain fell in the first hour of the” storm, which lasted for nearly two hours. It was calculated that nearly Gin. of rain fell up to 8 o’clock. One street was flooded to a depth of Ift., and low-lying areas were soon under water. Hail was quickly piled to a depth of 2ft. against fences and walls. Havoc was wrought in vegetable and flower gardens, but the hail fortunately did littTe damage in the citrus orchards. The hail seemed to be confined to a narrow area, both Hawkesbury College and Kurrajong reporting only heavy rain. “WORST SINCE THE ’NINETIES.” Old residents of Windsor declared that the storm was the worst since the ’nineties. Within half an hour the main street was covered by hail to a depth of 9in. to 2ft. At one street intersection motor-cars became hopelessly in the hailstones, all efforts to move them to shelter failing. McQuade Park resembled an English park with its winter covering of snow. Many of the hailstones were as large as hen eggs, and they left a trail of broken windows all over the town. The greatest havoc was caused on orchards and market gardens outside the town. Many acres planted with cauliflowers and beans were devastated. Poultry farmers lost many birds. In the town itself the flood waters poured into a number of business premises. After the storm had passed workmen were engaged shovelling the hail off the streets to allow of the passage of cars, and many residents quickly gathered the ice particles to replenish their refrigerators,