Assessors work through cost of tornado damage

Baypark Stadium. Photo/file

Work to repair damage caused by the tornado that ripped through Mount Maunganui last month is still under way but some locals are still unable to live in their homes.

Since the tornado on May 14, Mount Maunganui Intermediate has found more damage to the school.

The cost of damage to Baypark remains unknown.

The pre-winter weather bomb ruined the refurbished astro-turf at Mount Intermediate and caused a trampoline to smash a window.

The school was working with assessors to get a final quote for the damage the storm caused. It was estimated the astro turf would cost about $36,000 to repair.

Bay Leisure and Events chief executive Gary Dawson said an estimated cost for repairing the damage at Baypark was still weeks away.

Engineers were assessing the damage to the steel at Baypark before calculating the cost of the repairs, he said.

After the analysis report, design work would be completed before the rebuilding could start.

Mt Maunganui residents Jon and Bev Mayson spent the night at their neighbour's house after the tornado tore the roof off their two-storey wooden Waitui Grove home.

The pair are staying at a relative's property and said their house would not be ready for at least another two months.

"Everything is in storage and the house has been stripped. It will be a long slow process but will look good when finished."

Jimmy Higgins, Vero executive general manager of claims, said they had 33 claims lodged.

"We received 27 residential claims with an average cost of $5100 and six commercial claims with an average cost of $65,000."

AA Insurance senior corporate affairs representative Lizzie Furnell said the cost of claims was not available.