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Posted By: Trumpy It's a bit of a mess - 05/26/05 12:11 PM
Back in March, there was a Tornado over here in Greymouth, (on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand) and here are a few pictures of the damage to the towns Electrical system.
Here's a picture of what was going on, while the Tornado was still in town:

[Linked Image]

The next 3 pics show power poles in various states of damage:

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

I'd never really appreciated the forces that a tornado can generate, that was until I saw this picture:

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]


[This message has been edited by Trumpy (edited 05-26-2005).]
Posted By: IanR Re: It's a bit of a mess - 05/26/05 12:25 PM
Allthough I have seen this many times from many different tornadoes, I am still in awe of their power.
Posted By: NORCAL Re: It's a bit of a mess - 05/26/05 01:43 PM
The power of wind or water, is terrifying,considering how powerless we are to stop it.
Posted By: e57 Re: It's a bit of a mess - 05/27/05 06:56 AM
That last one is too much!

Isn't that why the "storm test" building extieriors by shooting a 2X4 out of a cannon.

Even loose change is like bullets.
Posted By: SvenNYC Re: It's a bit of a mess - 05/27/05 02:24 PM
Supposedly even pine-tree needles caught in a tornado are like someone flinging knives or darts at you. [Linked Image]
Posted By: Theelectrikid Re: It's a bit of a mess - 05/27/05 08:38 PM
"It's a bit of a mess"

A bit!?!
Posted By: screwi Re: It's a bit of a mess - 05/27/05 08:43 PM
When I was on holiday in Florida last year hurricane charlie hit, I cant beleive the power of these things.

[This message has been edited by screwi (edited 05-27-2005).]
Posted By: Trumpy Re: It's a bit of a mess - 05/28/05 03:56 AM
Interesting,
I've only ever been to Greymouth once or twice and I didn't take a lot of notice of the linework there at the time, but if my eyesight isn't playing tricks on me, that pole in the second picture (2nd pole back) is in the middle of the foot-path (side-walk). [Linked Image]
In that same pic, on the nearer pole, that's actually someone's mailbox hanging off the top 11kV wires.
Another thing, the local Lines Company would be looking to get the poles replaced and the lines back up in the air,otherwise all that good copper could very well find a new home over night. [Linked Image]
Just goes to show what sort of loading power lines can put on a reinforced concrete pole, though. [Linked Image]
When I first saw that bottom picture of the 4x2 in the car tyre, I thought that that pic had been Photo-shopped and I'm still of that opinion, the edges of the tyre where the wood enters are much too straight, shouldn't they be "caved-in" around the timber edges?.
What do you think?. [Linked Image]


[This message has been edited by Trumpy (edited 05-27-2005).]
Posted By: Tiger Re: It's a bit of a mess - 05/28/05 04:15 AM
That last photo could be photo-shopped, Mike. I've seen & heard of grass & straw going into things you wouldn't think possible-like telephone poles. The strangest thing I see with tornados is a house demolished right next to one that's untouched.

I did a clean-up when I was a boy scout & saw a small strip of grass torn up by the tip of the tornado. The house near it was demolished.

I hope you're having a nice fall. We're having a wonderfully long spring here. Usually spring is only a few weeks, then it gets hot.

Dave
Posted By: Larry Fine Re: It's a bit of a mess - 05/29/05 05:10 AM
It looks real to me:

[Linked Image from fineelectricco.com]
Posted By: Theelectrikid Re: It's a bit of a mess - 05/29/05 11:55 AM
Trumpy:
"if my eyesight isn't playing tricks on me, that pole in the second picture (2nd pole back) is in the middle of the foot-path (side-walk).
In that same pic, on the nearer pole, that's actually someone's mailbox hanging off the top 11kV wires. "

Good eyes there Trumpy!

Tiger:
"That last photo could be photo-shopped,"
I've seen that at least 20 times on Storm Stories, so, I agree with Larry that it's real.

Ian A.


[This message has been edited by Theelectrikid (edited 05-29-2005).]
Posted By: Trumpy Re: It's a bit of a mess - 05/30/05 03:32 AM
Just as a little note,
If you've ever heard me mention Corrugated iron roofing materials, there's some of it wrapped around the base of that pole in the 3rd pic.
It's used quite widely here as a roofing material on houses and all sorts of other buildings.
Having this sort of thing flying around in high winds, is just another good reason to take cover.
Also, it may look rather damp in this town, the West Coast of New Zealand has the highest annual rainfall in the world, with upwards of 1000mm falling per year.
2-300mm have been known to fall in one day. [Linked Image]
Posted By: nesparky Re: It's a bit of a mess - 05/31/05 02:53 AM
I am very familiar with tornado damage. Have seen too much of things like that over the years. The photo of the 2x4 in a tire could be taken at any of several tornado damage sites. Power lines down with poles is various stages of destruction is only one of the reasons I think that all power lines and services should be underground. I have seen straw driven into wood poles and the straw is not broken. Tornadoes can and do do a lot freakish things. No construction above ground will stop a tornado's destruction if the building is hit.
Trumpy good luck with the repairs, test every thing, have had stuff that looked ok fail because of hidden damage during the times I was involved with tornado damage.
Posted By: kiwi Re: It's a bit of a mess - 06/08/05 10:32 AM
Amazing photos Trumpy, even more amazing was that nobody was killed in the Greymouth tornado.

Tornadoes are a very rare occurence in NZ, which makes it all the more shocking when they do hit.

If that tornado could snap those concrete poles then the 4 x 2 in the tyre could be feasible.

I am now questioning my decision to build a second storey on my house, and wondering how difficult it would be to dig me a basement !
Posted By: Dnkldorf Re: It's a bit of a mess - 06/08/05 12:03 PM
Hey, where are all the mobile homes at?

I thought tornados regularly seek and destroy mobile home parks.
Well, it seems that way here in the US anyway.

Now if that did happen in the US, Our government would probably only consider that tire a federal disaster site.


Dnk.......
Posted By: mvpmaintman Re: It's a bit of a mess - 06/08/05 02:16 PM
Here in the land of Oz (Kansas) it is now tornado season, so I can sympathize Trumpy. We test our sirens every week on Tuesdays at 10 am. Whenever someone moves in from a non-afficted area we have to explain why we do that
Posted By: Alan Belson Re: It's a bit of a mess - 06/08/05 09:21 PM
Trumpy, since corrugated iron is a popular building material in NZ, are your houses like the Aussie ones that you can jack-up and move? I saw a docu. once where they had these timberframe houses for sale in a 'used-house lot'- select your home and we deliver it to your site. (These are full size houses, not 'mobiles' in the accepted sense).
If so dnk, there's your answer!
Alan
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