WAIMANA LASHED

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 74, 17 January 1947, Page 5

WAIMANA LASHED

EARLY MORNING GALE MINOR DAMAGE SUSTAINED In the early hours of Wednesday morning:, Waimana was lashed by a gale of more fury than any within the memory of some of the oldest inhabitants. Minor damage was sustained by buildings and other structures, whilst services, which were disrupted, caused inconvenience, particularly to farmers, many of whom were forced to either milk by hand, or forego the morning milking altogether. Two telegraph poles which succumbed to the gale caused approximately half of the telephone subscribers to be cut off for a period, whilst a power pole which came down was responsible for the failure of the electric power supply. Most of the circuit was again in operation by 8.30 a.m., but some homes were without power until after midday. Haystack coverings suffered in most instances, whilst in at least one case, the roof of a cowshed was lifted off and deposited on the ground some distance away. A number of trees fell, but these caused only minor damage which was easily repaired, particularly in instances where small trees fell across the road. A number of wireless aerials were blown down, whilst some of the fittings and parts of the roofs of several houses were loosened. The wind commenced to rise shortly after midnight on Tuesday. By 3.30 a.m. on Wednesday, it had reached its peak, and blew with gale force for several hours, subsiding only at approximately 8 a.m. It was accompanied by very little rain, and is considered to be part of the tropical storm, warnings concerning which had been issues. Waimana was apparently on the extreme edge of the cyclone, as other parts of the district received no more than a strong blow, which did no damage whatsoever. Opotiki, on the other hand, received similar treatment, but ona scale which was responsible for damage involving several thousand pounds worth of property.