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A series of small tornados tore off roofs and downed trees in parts of Greymouth this afternoon.
A torrential downpour and lightning shortly before 1pm caused damage in isolated pockets across town. Roofs were blown off, iron strewn along streets, letterboxes blown from their bases and fences collapsed in Cobden, Boddytown and Karoro.
Boddytown resident Stephanie White was at home alone when it hit. "The noise -- I thought the house and all would be lifted up. It was a tornado, I could see it coming, I saw it swirling. I thought, this is it."
Inspecting the damage afterwards, she found a more than 100-year-old pine tree which was a landmark in Boddytown had been badly damaged.
There was more damage to roofs at Fernhill Place, Karoro. Postie Dave Butcher was driving his van past Video Ezy during the March 2005 tornado when the big tornado hit.
It was a case of deja vu today when he was having lunch and a smaller tornado hit. "I heard it. I went outside to shift the van and the next thing, the roof is off."
The Greymouth Volunteer Fire Brigade was kept busy for more than two hours picking up iron that had been blown from house roofs and was strewn around Cobden streets. Firefighters were erecting tarpaulins on the damaged homes.
Parts of Greymouth were devastated by a much larger tornado, which swept in off the sea, through Blaketown and central Greymouth in 2005.
- NZPA
