‘Carnage ... and then it was over’

Published date01 December 2022
Publication titleWhanganui Chronicle
Fire and Emergency NZ responded to reports of a tornado ripping through Paeroa — with eyewitnesses claiming there has been extensive damage to property and vehicles and more than 1000 homes in the area left without power

The caretaker of the caravan park and holiday park told the Herald residents of the park were terrified as the tornado lifted the roof of the campground’s hall.

“I saw it coming from over the back of the thing [hall], it came through the trees and ripped branches off when it just smashed the hall.

‘‘It was really scary, bits and pieces were flying everywhere.”

Two people were inside the hall at the time, he said, “and they were terrified”.

He said nobody was injured, but there was quite a bit to clean up.

“It’s just a matter of going around seeing what’s what.”

Paeroa resident Erik Page described a vortex of leaves the “size of a rugby field” passing nearby.

Page’s brother, David, captured the tail end of the tornado on video as it headed for town, where he understood there was extensive damage.

“It seemed like the end of the world for a moment, there was no time to do anything.

‘‘It wasn’t the wind we heard first, it was the rain being pushed by it that smashed us,” David Page said.

Auckland resident Liz Waters says she...

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