Tremendous wind, then big crash, as huge tree crashes onto Auckland roof
Wednesday, 11 April 2018
Usually, Auckland doctor Jonathan Casement would be working in the study of his modern waterfront home.
Luckily, the Bayswater resident, on Auckland's North Shore, had gone downstairs to comfort his 12-year-old daughter during Tuesday night's storm, as his wife, Tina, was out and his son is on his OE.
That was when the family's huge liquid amber tree fell on the house with an 'almighty crash' and the power went out.
'There was a big bang. All the power was out. There was just that foreboding wind.'
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Auckland was hit by a storm which saw winds more than 200kmh.
'The wind was the loudest I have ever heard. The wind sounded tremendously forceful. It was a foreboding sound.'
He and his daughter took shelter under a door to sit it out for a while.
Water was coming into the lounge.
They went with torches onto the deck, which is almost at water level at Shoal Bay, to tie down the trampoline, which had flipped, to make sure it didn't escape, then realised the tree had come down on the roof of the house.
Casement later found it had gone through the roof, smashing the computer and hitting the desk where he would normally be working in the evening.
'I feel incredibly lucky. I almost feel like the house has taken the fall and kept us safe instead.'
At 10.11pm, Casement called 111, but couldn't get through, because of the volume of emergency calls in the dramatic storm.
His insurance company did pick up, and assure him they would provide cover.
The most disappointing thing for the Casements is they had just finished renovations.
They know how much time and work will go into the repairs.
Worst of all, their builder has retired and isn't available to help with this round of building work.