GALE DAMAGE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 August 1938, Page 6

GALE DAMAGE

AUCKLAND BUFFETED SEVERELY

ONE HOUSE COMPLETELY UNROOFED. OTHER BUILDINGS KNOCKED ABOUT. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, July 31. A fierce gale struck Auckland at mid-night last night with torrential rain. The gale was of short duration and damage in the city was mostly confined to the loss of wireless aerials. Leaving a track of wreckage, a gale of terrific force tore through the outskirts of Kaitaia at about 5.30 o’clock last evening. Fortunately it was of short duration and damage was confined to a narrow belt. The roof of one house, luckily unoccupied, was entirely torn off and sheets of roofing iron were carried almost half a mile away. Chimneys were demolished, one crashing through the ceiling of a living-room and making a huge hole in the floor. Windows were wrenched from their frames as cleanly as if they had been cut out by a saw. Roofs were partly removed on several other buildings and minor damage was done to numerous sheds and outbuildings. A telegraph pole was smashed off at ground level, causing considerable disruption to the services, as it carried 40 lines. Many trees were bodily uprooted and driven short distances before the gale. Lying within a few chains of the path of the gale, the Kaitaia Hospital fortunately escaped the full force of the storm. Telephonic.-: communication with the hospital was, severed, however, and the line to the police station was also broken. A line gang was immediately put to work to repair these connections. Volunteer workers, including all the carpenters of the district, busied themselves today in making temporary repairs to the damaged buildings. The linesmen to the Post and Telegraph Department continued their work of restoring telephone connections in addition to replacing the broken telegraph pole. PAEROA’S SHARE. HEAVIEST DAMAGE FOR MANY YEARS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, July 31. The heaviest damage for many years in Paeroa and the surrounding districts was caused by a severe storm last night, when 7.2 in of rain was,recorded by the Public Works Department. Flooding occurred over large areas, numerous roads were blocked by slips and bridges were swept away. The low-lying lands between Paeroa and Te Aroha along the banks of: the Waihou River are inundated and areas adjacent to the Northern Steam Ship Company’s Puke wharf ’ and along Hubbard’s road are completely covered. Several farms in the Awaiti, Komata and Hikutaia districts have also suffered. The Ohinemuri River was swollen to abnormal heights and damage throughout the Ohinemuri county is expected to run into many thousands of pounds. Many slips are reported and practically all the hill roads in the Waihi county are badly damaged.