'Twister terror: 60 years since NZ's deadliest tornado'

[Willoughby]

Twister terror: 60 years since NZ's deadliest tornado
By CLIO FRANCIS - Stuff.co.nz | Monday, 25 August 2008

Power poles snapped like carrots and homes were reduced to rubble in the 10 minutes it took a devastating tornado to sweep its way through the Hamilton suburb of Frankton on August 25, 1948.

It is 60 years since New Zealand's deadliest recorded tornado hit Frankton; killing three people, injuring 80 and causing in excess of £1 million worth of damage (over $63 million in today’s money).

The local policeman Sergeant Bonnington told the New Zealand Herald in 1948 of the devastating scene.

"Everything was flying bricks, roofing iron, fences, wire, tiles and great baulks of wood.

"I saw telegraph poles snapped off cleanly like carrots.

"A light trailer, newly built by a man living a 100 yards away from the police station was whirled past."

Reports from the time tell of how the tornado picked up one house and turned it around, before depositing it across the street. Incredibly the occupants, a woman and her two children, escaped from the ordeal unharmed.

A Waikato Times report from the time described Frankton after the vicious storm as "desolate and pitiful."
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4668312a11.html

Another brief excerpt here: http://www.hamiltonlibraries.co.nz/page ... on_tornado

Haven't had the time to look at what the weather was like before this happened, would anybody know?

[Nev]

Interesting that they used the term cyclone in ye ol' Hamilton Library archives.



(Photo: Civil Defence)

Not sure about the weather then foggy , but just add to the info already mentioned in those links:

The tornado hit Frankton and Hamilton East just before midday on August 25 and apparently cut a path 100 to 200 metres wide. The main shopping street in Frankton was all but demolished and 163 homes were badly damaged, some beyond repair. Emergency kitchens were set up for the rescuers and the homeless. Two men were sucked out when a garage blew apart and one was killed, while several men in another wrecked garage survived by jumping down into the mechanics’ pit.

EDIT: Source - NZ History Online, GNS Hazardwatch, NZ Film Archive ...

[gllitz]

Wow, I am really impressed with how detailed people's memories of the above incident are.....(or perhaps the above detailed "recollections" were obtained elsewhere?)

[Storm Struck]

Sounds like it was a strong one, do they have any idea of the strenth?.
Does anyone remember what the exact date for the big tornado that ripped through Hallswel quite a few years ago?.
Not the 2002 Tai Tapu tornado although that was an incrediable day and well done to John for capaturing the footage of two tornado touch downs that day.
Cheers
Jason.

[Nev]

Wow, I am really impressed with how detailed people's memories of the above incident are.....(or perhaps the above detailed "recollections" were obtained elsewhere?)

As my composite above is made up of few sourced titbits that weren't included in Foggy's links, I didn't think it necessitated mentioning them all. However, just FYI, I've edited the above with a few links.

Sounds like it was a strong one, do they have any idea of the strenth?.
Does anyone remember what the exact date for the big tornado that ripped through Hallswel quite a few years ago?

According to Stuff - "the Frankton tornado was rated an F2... According to NIWA an F2 rating indicates wind speeds of between about 180–250 kmh." - Those speeds would equal EF2 to EF3.

Think Halswell was Jan 19, 1983 ...

[NZstorm]

The New Zealand Herald did a good write up on the tornado at the time with a page of photos. I went into the library a while back and had a read. One eye witness reported the tornado coming in from the NW. As for the rating, as the Fujita scale didn't exist the rating will have occured subsequently and would have been based on photos. Maybe it could have been an F3.