The one that got (blown) away
Ex-tropical cyclone Dovi rips off fishing club roof
Losing their roof was not part of the plan for the Ohawe Boat Club’s annual fishing competition this month.
But on Sunday it was extropical cyclone Dovi making the rules, especially in South Taranaki. Heavy winds smashed into the boat club, tearing the roof off and carrying it away to parts unknown.
‘‘We think the roof is in the river but we don’t know. For the whole thing to just up and go it’s like, giddyup,’’ said club commodore Steve Midgley. ‘‘It’s an aluminium roof so obviously it’s a bit lighter and flies better.’’
It was the first time the 40year-old shed in the tiny coastal village near Hāwera had been hit with such high winds.
As well as the roof, the club lost most of its emergency blankets and first aid kits, that had been stored in the attic, Midgley said.
‘‘What makes it worse is it’s right in the middle of our fishing comp.’’
Midgley said the club’s insurance company had been notified about the roof but it could be up to six months before it is replaced. ‘‘We just need to keep everything airtight, so we can carry on with our comp.’’
The fishing club was just one of many things to suffer at the hands of Dovi.
Around the Taranaki region, farmers and emergency services have been cleaning up debris left by the ex-tropical cyclone over the weekend.
Eltham farmer Phil Muir and his daughter Nadia said it wasn’t the worst weather they had experienced during their time on their farm, however, the cleanup would take some time.
‘‘We will be playing pick-upsticks all week,’’ Phil said.
One of those ‘‘sticks’’ was a massive tree branch that blocked the road and smashed a fence on their farm.
The pair were also having to deal with some seriously grumpy cows. With no power since 7am on Sunday, the herd had not been milked for more than 24 hours.
At 3pm on Monday, lines company Powerco said about 12,500 customers were without power across their networks, the majority in Bay of Plenty (5748) and Taranaki (2709).
On Powerco’s website, network operations manager Scott Horniblow said crews worked as quickly as they could to clear debris and restore power.
‘‘Although weather conditions have settled today, there are still strong winds in some areas that make for challenging conditions for our field crews.’’
Horniblow said helicopters were patrolling for damage. Several power poles were down and trees fallen through lines.
❚ Eva Davies is a journalism student currently working as an intern at the Taranaki Stuff office.