Wall of water — tornado strikes
It was the howling wind that caught Sarah Crump’s attention.
But it was an approaching ‘‘wall of water’’ that had her duck for cover under her desk as a tornado tore through National Park Village yesterday morning.
While earlier reports suggested six houses had been destroyed by the tornado, latest reports suggest one house was partially destroyed, while five more have been badly damaged.
Trampolines flew past Crump’s workplace at Plateau Lodge & Tongariro Crossing Shuttles in the town centre, and sheets of iron were flung through the air, hitting cars and power poles.
‘‘I saw the wall of water and I thought, what is this s...?
‘‘There was a downpour of rain and then this howling.’’
Crump said the tornado lasted at least one minute, possibly two.
As soon as it passed, she called her daughter who was en route to school in Ohakune on a bus.
After making sure her daughter was ok, she ran from her Carroll Street workplace to her home, 500 metres down the road.
‘‘I wanted to check and see if my house was ok, and luckily there was no damage.
‘‘A few friends have lost the roofs of their homes so we’ll be looking for places for them to stay tonight.’’
Crump said there was torrential rain, lightening strikes and thunder after the tornado passed.
Power poles were lying on the road and there was no electricity, she said. Emergency services, including civil defence and the fire service, arrived soon after it happened, around 9.30am.
‘‘I’ve been here 20 years and we haven’t had anything like this,’’ Crump said.
‘‘We’ve got work cars that look like they’ve been written off but we’re all safe so that’s the main thing.’’ The fire service was going door-to-door to check all the occupants of the damaged houses.
Ruapehu District Council chief executive Clive Manley said one unoccupied house had been completely destroyed.
There was also structural damage to several other properties including partial roof loss and broken windows.
He said four households had been rehomed to commercial accommodation and cordons were in place for limiting public access while homes were insecure.
Manley said the water was safe to drink and sewerage was operational.
An elderly couple in one of the houses, that was partially destroyed, have been evacuated as their house was now uninhabitable. They were not injured.
A Stuff reporter on site, Frances Ferguson, said residents were taking shelter the best they could.
‘‘There were children at the playcentre and National Park School. Staff decided it would be safer for them to stay put until the storm quietened.’’
Their parents arrived to pick them up about 11.30am.
The storm was furious from 9am, Ferguson said.
‘‘There was heavy, driving rain – you couldn’t even see,’’ she said. It’s all stopped now. The wind has disappeared.’’
Many power poles were bent and there was no power.
Power had been restored to most of the village except for the most damaged areas.
The town was now cordoned off, affecting around 40 properties, and would remain so because of the danger of falling trees and debris.