STRUCK BY WHIRLWIND

Opotiki News, Volume I, Issue 47, 22 June 1938, Page 2

STRUCK BY WHIRLWIND

OTARA VISITATION CHILDREN’S NARROW ESCAPE Considerable damage was done this afternoon at (Mara, when a terrific whirlwind struck the district. The huge column of the whirlwind could be seen from Opotiki borough, some six miles away. A terrifying time was experienced by the school-children attending the Otara School, when the whirlwind struck the building, and the children were lucky to escape without injury. The school building was partly moved from its foundations ami a big cupboard was hurled to the floor by the shock, and crockery and apparatus was smashed in the fall. The terrorstricken children ■ clambered through the windows to seek safety.

The shelter shed near the school received the full force of the whirlwind and was ripped away in the air onlv the blocks remaining.

Before reaching the Otara school the whirlwind struck the cowshed of Mr S. H. Parkinson and the roof was carried away.

After passing over the school grounds, the whirlwind continued its furyi up the Otara- valley- big oak trees being torn from the ground. The side of a huge pine tree was caught by the wind and the side only completely stripped away. .Continuing, the whirlwind travelled over the bed of the Otara river and' willow trees were flattened to the ground.

The electric power supply was cut off and telephonic communication disorganised. A fierce hailstorm followed the whirlwind, hail falling for ten minutes, jagged lumps of ice an inch long falling with the hail. Owing to the telephone . lines being down full details of the disturbance are not available. The noise created by the whirlwind and accompanying storm could be heard at the Opotilii dairy factory, some miles away. The Waioeka district also experienced a violent storm, accompanied by hail.