STORM DAMAGE

Hokitika Guardian, 27 December 1933, Page 4

STORM DAMAGE

The weather which had been unsettled on Saturday got rapidly worse, after midnight, a heavy northwesterly blow setting in,, which grew into gale force in the course of a couple of hours. Between 2.30 and 3 o’clock there was a visitation of whirlwind force, which caused much damagb (in-: town • and country. In Cass Square a 'large pinu» insignis tree was uprooted, —several fences and chimneys came down, portion of a new structure'in Weld Street was crashed, while the garden s suffered considerably from the effects of the heavy blow. In the Kokatahi district the wind blew with hurricane force and a large amount of damage is reported. At Diedrichs’ homestead many of the shelter trees at the old homestead were uprooted a shed wag unroo.ed and the large trees alongside the road near the school were uprooted, the latter crossing on ihe telephone and electric power lines and smashing them, causing a cutting off of power for a time. A shed at the school was overturned and smashed.'A large number of shelter trees in Karnbaclrs were uprooted, 'while at Longfbrd Hotel several trees were torn out and other damage done. The English Church a little further up was caught by the power of the wind and pushed some 6 feet off the piles) the floor being bent up and a wail badly bent, the damage to the structure’ being very substantial. Further oh the gale caught the bush at J. W.' 1 Kelly’s where it uprooted some 50 or 60 trees in their belt of bush and 'also other trees near the hayshed, one large poplari’ breaking through the' shed and causing considerable damage.. Further on P. Jones lost portion of his shed, while at T. EceleSfield’s some thirty large whits pine trees were levelled and damage done to the orchards; Other'damage is reported on a number of the holdings, buildings, orchards and shelter trees' suffering. The gale was one of the worst ever experienced in the district for many years arid orchards and gardens had havoc played by the fierce storm. ' ■ i,