A FREAK windstorm left a trail of destruction for a Sea Lake farming family when it swept through their property on Saturday night.
The Bureau of Meteorology had issued a severe thunderstorm warning for damaging wind, heavy rain and large hailstones for Swan Hill, Ouyen, Mildura, Rainbow, Walpeup and Warracknabeal earlier that day.
The force of the storm uprooted trees, twisted tin and caused significant damage to the family’s barn and two machinery sheds.
Greg and Maureen Allan weren’t home at the time, but returned to find extensive damage across their property.
“There was a fair bit of damage,” Ms Allan said, noting the sheer force of the wind.
“It picked up a piece of tin and pierced the sprayer tyre, it has uplifted our loading ramp and poly tank and smashed them into the ground, and it blew out the windows on our grader.”
Ms Allan said the extent of the damage was widespread with tin strewn across the property.
She said the windstorm followed a zigzag formation, taking out whatever was in its way.
“There’s at least 1km of damage,” she said.
Following a lengthy clean up, Ms Allan said she was grateful she was not home at the time.
“It would have been horrendous and very loud,” she said.
“There would have been tin flying around everywhere.
“We still have pieces of tin wrapped around tree branches — it’s too high for us to reach.”
For more on this story pick up a copy of Friday’s Guardian (May 6, 2016).
