HIT BY CYCLONIC GALE

Taranaki Daily News, 27 October 1932, Page 16

HIT BY CYCLONIC GALE

' HAVOC NEAR WARK.WORTH FARM BUILDINGS DAMAGED. SETTLER'S NARROW ESCAPE. Warkworth, Oct. 25. A number of settlers in the area between Warkworth and Mahurangi Heads' had a terrifying experience yesterday morning when a cyclonic gale swept down from the north, unroofing buildings, uprooting huge trees and leaving a trail of destruction in its path. The buildings on several properties were damaged and one large store shed on the farm of Mr. C. S. Jolly was. flattened to the ground, while the residence had • the -verandah • torn ■ off. Limbs of trees, water, tanks and timber and iron from damaged buildings were carried more than half a mile by the gale, and Mr. Jolly, who ran out of the store shed just before it collapsed, was hurled over a fence and landed 30 yards away; • The gale struck the district about. half-past nine o’clock yesterday morning and, although of comparatively short duration, left its mark on the countryside. CLEARLY-DEFiNED. TRACK. ’ The gale was first observed as it swept over the ridge above Snell’s Beach, about four miles east of Warkworth. As it tore along, it left a clear-ly-defined track and finally went out to sea. The first building to suffer was a large cowshed on the property of Mr. Percy Dawson. The roof was lifted off bodily and carried through the air for a distance of about 700 yards before it was dashed, to pieces among the mangroves in the Mahurangi River. The farm of Mr. F. Goodall was next in the path of the gale and, although the buildings escaped, several iron tanks were blown away and were later located over a mile and a-half away. Several large pin us insignia trees, about 4ft. in diameter, were cut off about 18ft. from tfie ground and the tops carried away on the wind. Willows and kowhai trees also suffered and a pohutukawa tree, known to be over 50 years old, was levelled, HURLED OVER A FENCE. At this stage the track of the gale was over 300 yards wide and although trees and crops were uprooted and flattened, the. growth on either side was left untouched. Similar damage to trees was done on the old Dawson homestead property and the limb of a pine tree, estimated to weigh half a ton, was carried to a point 1000 yards away. The gale then swept across a short arm of tidal water, cutting a • channel through the mangroves. . The Jolly farm on the . far side of this inlet received the most damage. The boatshed had the roof lifted and the sides damaged, and the big store shed,- measuring about 40ft. by 30ft., was completely demolished. The house, was also, struck and the verandah torn off. Flying timber and iron broke all the windows in the house. Mr. Jolly was in the shed when he heard the roar of the gale and, running to the door, saw that .the air was full of flying, boughs, mangrove branches and timber. He was caught by the wind and flung over a fence, but suffered no serious injury. I 1 HUGE PINES BLOWN OVER. Huge pines were blown over or broken off and debris from the wrecked buildings was carried up the hill for a distance of half a mile, where a stout fence was plastered with timber and twisted roofing iron. In some eases sheets of iron after travelling through the air were wrapped round trees. The gale next swept across the property of Messrs. A. L. and W> F. McElroy and as it left the shore trees and shrubs were torn from the top of the cliff. A launch belonging to Mr. C. S. Jolly, which was lying at the wharf, wias also damaged, but as she was aground she was not blown a way. Altogether Mr. Jolly’s losses were estimated to be not less than £3OO.

Fortunately no injury was suffered by any of the settlers or their families and no damage -Was done to stock.