Horowhenua Storm July 2008

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Trevor Heath's photographs

Click here to view Trevor's photographs of the storm.

TV3 : Wild weather turns its sights on Levin

Click here to view TV3 video footage.

Today it was the lower North Island's turn to take the brunt of the recent bad weather. Gale force easterlies in Levin sent roofs flying loose and knocked over trees so they blocked roads. When the wind arrived, it arrived packing a punch.

The inside of one home 3 News saw was ruined when a gust blew the roof off. Pinks Batts and roofing iron were scattered around paddocks, and a hay barn was also obliterated. "The storm and bad weather came along and blew the roof right off," says Levin local Fiona Wallace. "We are waiting for the fire brigade to arrive with tarps."

The easterly gale also ripped off the roof of some horse stables with apparent ease. "We weren't here when it happened," says stable owner Andrew Dale. "We came back, and it just peeled. The horses are blissfully unaware, so they are quite content."

Trees and branches were toppling all over the place. Some people needed their own chainsaw to get out. "Pretty windy up there," says farmer Paul Hartle. "We live up there in the hills and it's pretty blowy. We could hear the trees go down at night."

The fire service was kept frantic, retrieving loose tiles from one house 3 News saw, but they wanted the wind to drop before helping at another, where the peeled-off roof became caught in powerlines.

For much of the day Levin was without power. Most shops simply closed down. "An easterly wind causes a great deal of havoc for us, and with the power being out, it put all the business out," says resident Robyn Pesini. And for much of the day the power company had a one-way battle trying to restore electricity. Typical of what Levin is experiencing are downed powerlines and house roofs lifting. The MetService says there have been wind gusts of over 120kph.

It has left some locals saying it is possibly the worst blow they have faced since the Wahine day storm 40 years ago.

DomPost: Storm Cuts Swath of Destruction

Levin has had its supply fully restored after being in the dark for most of yesterday but Waikawa Beach, Manakau, Tokomaru and parts of Foxton are still without power causing havoc for dairy farmers trying to milk.

Electra said they were working as fast as they could and were "hoping" to have all power restored today.

Electra network chief executive John Yeoman said workers were out now with extra crews arriving from Wellington and Wairarapa to help out.

Horowhenua Mayor Brendan Duffy said the storm had impacted on everyone in the district.

Schools and isolated communities were being asked to contact the council to update their status.

Some cellphone sites were down and Shannon residents were being asked to conserve water after a lightning strike hit the intake pump at the Shannon water treatment plant.

Tokomaru residents were also asked to conserve water as there was no power to run the generator to pump the water station.

Manawatu River levels were extremely high and the council was monitoring the situation.

"Thankfully there was no serious injury to anyone and it probably highlights the message about being prepared," Mr Duffy said.

"Electra is doing an enormous job working across the district to get power on. It will be a number of weeks before the clean-up has been completed and we are back to normal."

Heavy rain continues to cause delays for motorists driving into Wellington this morning.

Police were warning motorists to be careful on State Highway 2, because of slips on the Rimutaka Hill Rd.

On the northern side of the Rimutaka summit, the south-bound lane was completely blocked by slips, though the northbound lane was still open.

The Palmerston North to Gisborne line remained closed due to slips but passenger services from Wellington, including the main trunk line, had reopened after disruptions yesterday.

State Highway 56, also known as Opiki Rd, was closed between Tane Road and the Palmerston North side of the Manawatu river.

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/dominionpost/4637364a6000.html

Radio NZ : Wind batters Levin

In Levin, people were told on Wednesday morning to stay indoors as winds of up to 120 kilometres an hour hit the town.

Trees fell on to power lines, cutting electricity, schools were closed and roofs lifted. Many roads are reported to be closed or unpassable.

Horowhenua District Council says the town and surrounding areas have been hit hard, and matters have not been helped by the widespread power blackouts. It says power has gone out further south too, in the Kapiti town of Otaki.

Shannon residents are without water after a lightning strike took out the intake pump at the water treatment plant.

The traffic lights on State Highway 1 at Levin are also out, but the council says lines company Electra is trying to get power back to the town centre on Wednesday night.

It says it could be up to a week before power is restored to rural areas.

Many people in Levin have reported damage to buildings, as well as felled fences and trees.

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/regional/2008/07/30/124368c94b28

Dom Post: Storm sweeps down country

...... Around 25,000 households in Horowhenua - including Levin, Otaki and Shannon - are out of power after falling trees cut electricity supply.

The strong winds were hampering efforts to clear trees and restore the supply, Electra Chief Executive John Yeoman said. "Trees are down everywhere."

A staff member at Levin's police station said the station was running on generators.

Levin chief fire officer Lindsay Walker said the station had around 35 callouts this morning. Electricity was cut shortly after 8am. Most of the callouts related to roofs lifting or fences and trees being blown across properties, he said.

......

Earlier in the day, a truck was blocking the highway after rolling in high winds.

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominionpost/4636525a6479.html

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