STORM LOSSES

Hokitika Guardian, 5 February 1929, Page 5

STORM LOSSES

IN NORTH OTAGO. (lly Telegraph—Press Association). OAM A HU, Fob. 4. Just four weeks after the disastrous hailstorm in North Otago, on the cor- .. responding day, at the same time in tlic afternoon, 1.20 o’clock, a similar tfisitation played havoc with the vineries at Kaknnni, a seaside res >rt live miles south of Oamaru. Reverberating peels of thunder and vivid flashes of lightning preceded the storm, which lasted for a few minutes only, but during that brief space, damage estimated at between £7OO ami £BOO occurred. The ground was covered with a white mantle of bailstones as large as pigeon eggs, and tlit* western sides of three vineries, each one hundred yards in length, belonging to Mr G. W. Cleverly, were completely wrecked, thousands of panes were smashed. The grape crop is just about to go on the market, and it is exposed to the elements, and should there be wind or frost, it will bo completely ruined. Seven hundred f foot of glass was shattered. Tyson Pros’ vineries bad the sides completely ripped out. A vinery owned by Miss McKay and several other vineries suffered damage, and the grape crops are jeopardised. The Kakauui Vines, the largest in the Dominion, are also jeopardised. They represent a big portion of the supply from the grape growing industry. The insurances are almost negligible. Oamaru and the harvest area escaped. Departmental reports assess Die storm damage last month at £27.766 over a total area rtf 3,881 acres, the wheat damage being put down at Trrc.DC.l d'vnr acres: the oats damV age at £7,888 over 1331 acres, and 7 the damage to other crops at £lßl3, over 222 acres. The highest individual loss is Cl2B/. with seven others, whose losses amounted to £IOOO or over.