Auckland tornado: Family mourn death as clean-up continues

Saturday, 19 June 2021

Residents in the south Auckland suburb of Papatoetoe are in shock after a tornado rolled through several blocks of houses, causing debris to go flying.

A family is grieving the loss of a loved one while south Auckland residents continue damage control on their properties, following the deadly tornado that ripped through Papatoetoe on Saturday.

Auckland mayor Phil Goff on Saturday night estimated there was damage to about 240 houses, including more than 60 that were uninhabitable, while also paying tribute to the worker killed at the container terminal in Wiri, acknowledging the man's whānau.

“Our hearts go out to the family,” he said.

Stuff understands the dead man was a forklift repair technician subcontracted to Ports of Auckland's South Auckland Freight Hub, and was on site conducting routine repairs when the tornado dislodged several containers. Auckland mayor Phil Goff said the man had been thrown into the air.

* Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms possible in Northland, heavy rain for other parts of Aotearoa

* Weather: Strong winds could cause damage after roof blown off in Far North

Roofs have been ripped off and trees have fallen after the tornado in Papatoetoe.

The director of the firm the man worked for declined to comment Saturday night.

'I'm not ready to have this conversation,' he said.

It's understood family were last night gathering to comfort one another. Tributes were flowing for the man on social media.

The tornado, which struck about 8am, ripped roofs from homes, downed power lines, smashed business premises, and left debris scattered across roads and gardens, while injuring at least two others. Emergency services grappled with 100 calls and warned people to stay out of the area, while Civil Defence set up a welfare centre in Ōtara for those affected.

Goff said the scenes in Papatoetoe were like a war-zone, with downed power lines and roofing iron flung hundreds of metres.

Residents have been told they could face days without power. But Goff was yesterday counting his blessings. More people would likely have been killed if the tornado had struck at a busier time, he said. “It's an absolute tragedy that we've lost a person, but it could have been so much worse.”

Auckland train services were temporarily impacted, with cancellations on the southern and eastern lines that saw Auckland Transport warning Super Rugby Final fans to take alternative transport, while scrambling to put on extra services for those travelling to Eden Park for the Blues-Highlanders face-off.

On Saturday night, weather authorities were warning of more unsettled weather, with possible tornadoes for Northland. An active rain band was moving south over Northland Saturday night and early Sunday morning, bringing with it thunderstorms, localised heavy rain of 15 to 25 mmph, and strong winds gusting 80 to 100kph with the risk of tornadoes.

Downpours could cause surface or flash flooding, especially around low-lying areas such as streams, rivers or narrow valleys, and may also lead to slips.

MetService said winds could gust to 90kmh or 100kmh during any overnight Saturday thunderstorms in Northland, Coromandel Peninsula and Bay of Plenty.

Rainfall intensity could reach 30mm an hour during thunderstorms in Bay of Plenty overnight, MetService said. Peak rainfall intensities could also reach 30mm an hour with possible thunderstorms in Gisborne north of Tolaga Bay on Saturday evening and Sunday morning.

Other areas at risk of the heaviest rain included southern Wairarapa for 24 hours from late morning Sunday, and Kaikōura from early Sunday until Monday evening.

Father-of-one Ryan Lein was on Saturday fearing for the safety of his wife and child after the twister hit his family home on Omana Road, destroying the roof, and leaving him scrambling to protect his home from flooding with plastic coverings and tubs.

“I was sat in my front room and suddenly the weather got way worse and things started flying everywhere,' Lein said.

He could hear loud cracks and bangs coming from the roof, before tiles started falling into his home, leaving tiles in the kitchen and bedroom.

“We were lucky that our 6-month-year-old baby woke earlier than normal this morning, as giant shards of glass and tiles fell into the cot. Now our roof is leaking.”

Manurewa resident Janet Thomas was checking her children's sports cancellations online when she saw her outdoor chairs went flying and the ranch-slider started shaking.

“There was a big bang and our fence had fallen and all our stuff went flying,” Thomas said. “It was over so fast.”