Hundreds homeless as tornado hits city
Dec 8 2006 By Pa Reporters, The Journal
Hundreds of people were homeless last night after a tornado brought devastation "like a horror movie" to north London.
They took cover in a respite centre set up in a church after about 100 homes were damaged in freak weather that injured six people and caused millions of pounds of damage.
The people hurt in Kensal Rise suffered only minor injuries and only one, a man in his 50s, needed brief hospital treatment for a head injury.
Witnesses described how the sky went dark, there was a noise like a jet engine and a column of debris swept through the streets.
It came days after a similar incident in the village of Bowstreet in Ceredigion, west Wales, caused thousands of pounds of damage.
One of the most destructive tornadoes in the UK struck Birmingham on July 28 last year when hundreds of buildings in Sparkbrook were damaged by 135mph winds. Nineteen people were hurt and the damage cost tens of millions of pounds.
Dave Bonner, of London Fire Brigade, said that at Kensal Rise one house had lost its entire roof and properties had been damaged in a quarter of a square mile.
"The damage ranges from roofs with a few tiles missing, trees uprooted by the wind, but we've also had one building I've seen that's had an exterior wall collapse."
About 10 streets were affected and firefighters searched at least 100 properties to make sure everyone was safe.
People returning from work were told to report to the Church of the Transfiguration hall to be met by police and council staff.
The fire brigade set up powerful lights so crews could carry on working in the dark.
Brent Council borough surveyor Andy Hardy said the authority was preparing to rehouse people. "There are a number of houses with severe structural damage and some may have to be shored up or demolished. At the moment, we are expecting further severe weather, so we are not going to send any contractors in to shore up until we are sure the weather is not going to create further mayhem."
Mayor Bertha Joseph said the damage was "like a horror movie". The Association of British Insurers said initial estimates suggested damage would be in the millions rather than tens of millions, as seen in Birmingham.
Witnesses gave dramatic accounts of the tornado.
Tim Klotz, 34, who works in entertainment and film, said: "I was actually in an attic room working at my desk on the computer and there was heavy rain and sleet and then the wind just really changed.
"I looked up through a skylight and debris was falling through the air. I heard what seemed like large, clay dominoes falling, which I think were roof tiles."
Frank Hewetson, a Greenpeace logistics co-ordinator, was buffeted by the tornado as he cycled near home.
He said: "The sky was dark, I heard a noise like a jet engine and then I saw this column of debris. There was debris flying around and I was lucky not to be hit. I work on climate change at Greenpeace and here was evidence of it on my own doorstep."
Maya Sendall, an actress, was on the phone to a friend when the tornado ripped up the street.
She said: "I carried on with my phone call, but as it came past I was absolutely shrieking with shock. It sounded like a train going by and it shook the houseĀ I did not hear too much of the crashing because the sound of the wind was astonishing.
"I was four houses away from having the roof ripped off, basically. I just could not believe my luck."
