Storm at Wilf Hall’s property

Hello Everyone, 

John McLennan mentioned in an E Mail that he was unable to contact the NDSNZ Secretary, Wilf Hall last week.  We got a long-handed letter from Wilf today.  His area has been badly hit by the storm which has been tearing through New Zealand over the last two weeks and according to the weather forecasters isn’t over yet.  Here is part of Wilf’s letter:

“We have had no power for over 50 hours and are low priority for restoration.  No water, except for getting it out of the tank by bucket, no hot water, no TV, a one element gas cooker and a camp light… It was a savage storm, Trees down everywhere, our next door neighbour last half her roof of the house and their hay barn.  Levin was a ghost town this morning with only the NEW WORLD supermarket open with generators.  Couldn’t buy a candle, gas cartridge, batteries anywhere – went to Palmerston North (30 miles away)… lucky to buy the necessities as they were almost sold out.  … We only lost two trees on the flat but the bank is a mess with a huge kamahi down and also most of a macrocarpa as  well.. all the dodoneas and hicernis  were blown out as were the lemonwoods…other neighbours above us had trees blown over onto our property but luckily no damage to us…”

There is a photo of Wilf’s property in the upcoming NDSNZ Annual.  It shows trees in the background which are now  gone.  While power is still out, Wilf can be contacted as soon as it is restored on .  He didn’t mention his precious tazettas so one must assume that they are OK.  The good news is that no-one was hurt and that their house is intact. 

While the storm has been bad enough here it is obvious that Wilf’s district has suffered much more damage.  Let’s hope that tonight’s predicted gale force winds aren’t as bad as the ones already experienced.

Peter

.