‘Mini tornado’ rips through McLaren Vale
RESIDENTS in McLaren Vale have described how a “mini tornado” ripped through part of the township, damaging roofs, felling trees and shredding fences.
The worst-hit part of the Fleurieu Peninsula town was Abbott Ave, where at least four homes suffered damage to their roof or garden when winds came through about 7am on Tuesday.
SES volunteers have been working tirelessly along the street this morning and have helped patch up the roof of Brandan Wolff’s rented home.
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“I woke up and I heard all the gravel flicking up against the windows,” he said.
“Then we heard the tiles starting grating down off the roof — like the sound of concrete on concrete. I opened the front door and was like, ‘look, half the roof is on the front lawn’.
“We’ve had winds come through here before and it feels like the whole house shakes. It was like that this morning.”
Further down the street, resident Jenny Semmler described how a large tree from her front yard came crashing down about 7am.
“I just woke up to a big, loud thump and came out in my dressing gown and saw the tree had crashed to the ground,” she said.
“Part of it landed over the gutter and on the road.”
She said she was very fortunate the wind wasn’t travelling in the opposite direction or the tree would have crushed her bedroom.
“We’re very lucky,” she said.
Further east, the McLaren Vale Bowling Club, on Main Rd, also suffered some damage when the mini tornado ripped up metal fencing, which landed on the green and ripped holes in it.
Club greens keeper Ashley Whiley said he got a phone call from a neighbour this morning describing what had happened.
“I just got a phone call this morning saying a massive gust of wind — a tornado-type thing — came through and all the fences were gone,” he said.
“I drove down here from home and straight away started cleaning up.
“It’s done a bit of damage to the green — the mental fence sheets have dug holes in our nice, new green.
“We’ve had plenty of rain like everyone else but we’d been lucky up until today. This was a bit disappointing but you can’t win them all.”