Mavis and Roger Smith in front of their damaged house. Photo / David Haxton
Roger and Mavis Smith were relaxing in their Waikanae Beach, north of Wellington, home when a mini-tornado muscled its way across their property in Weggery Drive today.
The drama started at 11.15am when two metal bi-fold doors "blew open and a huge sound erupted", Roger said.
"It sucked the doors out."
They ventured outside and got a shock.
"All the furniture in the backyard was thrown about, fruit trees damaged, rose bushes uprooted, six-foot fencing pushed.
"But worst of all was it exploded the roof. It was like a bomb going off.
"We had no idea of the extent of the damage other than what we saw in the garden.
"But then there was a knock on the door and a guy said 'have you seen your roof?'.
"It was utterly terrible. We've virtually lost the roof on one side of the house."
He said Waikanae Volunteer Fire Brigade was quickly on the scene to help.
And people who helped fix the roof were passersby.
"A guy put tarpaulin over the roof, which the fire brigade supplied, and Kāpiti Coast District Council supplied sandbags to hold it down."
Roger said the experience was unnerving.
"Who would think your house would be hit by a tornado?"
"I've never experienced anything like it to be honest - it was unbelievable."
Other properties in the area were damaged too including across the road at Grant Richardson's home where there was also roof damage and more.
"It was really fast and really loud.
"I was working in the office, which is basically our spare room, and the wind got up, the windows starting going, and then it went to another level.
"My wife saw it.
"She was sitting in the lounge with our twin girls and they hunkered down."
Full road closure is needed for night work on the intersection.