Tree damage near Taupō
The sound of trees snapping “was like the loudest gunshots you’ve ever heard” as Cyclone Gabrielle ripped through central North Island forestry. Source: Stuff
Kasey Smith, who lives next door to the forest, witnessed the cyclone tearing through the trees.
“It was crazy. They were 15–30-year-old pines just snapping. Like the loudest gunshots you’ve ever heard. It sounded like fireworks being let off and massive bangs, one after another. The sound of the wind was deafening.”
The extent of the damage was devastating, Smith said.
“We couldn’t believe when the morning came and the whole forest was wiped out except one row along the fence line. It was like a match box had been thrown and all the matches fell out with the tops of trees scattered. The smell of the pine was incredible.”
Residents and pets in Motuoapa, northeast of Tūrangi, endured a scary night of cracking trees.
John Mack said it sounded like a train as the wind cut a swathe through the forest.
“It was more like a tornado than a cyclone the way it just cut through the trees.”
He and 900 other residents have been without power since, he said.
“It’s still very windy now,” he said on Wednesday, “and trees are still snapping. But we are grateful no-one has been hurt.”
Bee Young said hearing trees being felled by the strong wind “sounded like gunshots and explosions”.
Another resident said it was “like a war zone with the bangs and cracking”.
“Noise of the trees snapping was pretty loud. It kept us up to 2.30am,” said Johan Groenwald.
Mike Fox, chief executive of The Lines Company, said damage to the line servicing the area was substantial. At least 900 residents in Motuoapa, Motutere and some Tūrangi areas had been affected.
“There is significant damage to our network due to forestry damage … we are looking to restore power as safely and as quickly as we can.”
Generators were in hot demand across the North Island, the company said, as the cyclone left a trail of destruction across Aotearoa leaving many residents without power.
Civil Defence Taupō advised residents may be without power for a while.
“Homes could be without power for a few days, so you may want to think about relocating … While the wild weather has moved on from the Taupō District, we are not quite out of the woods yet and the recovery efforts in some areas will take a little time.”
Lake Rotoaira forest has been closed while New Zealand Forest Managers, a privately-owned forest management company assesses the “significant” damage. A spokesperson said the managers were in a board meeting and unavailable to comment.
The Lake Rotoaira Forest Trust controls an area of 16,447ha which includes 5,727ha of planted rotation forest. This represents 60% of the total planted area in Lake Rotoaira Forest, with the Government owning the remainder.
Logs produced by the forest are sold to a wide range of mills, with 20-24% exported in log form.
