Close call in Sunday night storm

The extent of the damage became much more visible in daylight. Photo / Peter Jackson

If Kaitaia College teacher Annelize Griesel believes in luck, she might well buy a Lotto ticket for tomorrow night's draw.

Mrs Griesel was unwell on Sunday, and spent much of the day in bed at her college house in Pukepoto Rd. She got up in the evening for a meal, and in that brief period of time a large tree finally succumbed to the strong wind that had blown all day.

Much of the tree landed on the front lawn, but the lower trunk smashed through the north-west corner of the house, immediately above the bedroom where she had spent the day, demolishing the roof and ceiling.

She and her husband Hendrik agreed that had she been there when the tree fell she would have been lucky to avoid serious injury, or worse.

The couple, and their teenage sons Henco and Marco, were unscathed, but badly shaken.

Mr Griesel said his first thought, when he heard the crash and felt the house shake, was that there had been an earthquake. When he realised what had happened he gave thanks that his wife had not been in bed.

Mrs Griesel said she was actually cleaning the kitchen floor when the tree fell. It wasn't her favourite chore, but she was very pleased that she had chosen to do it on Sunday evening.

Meanwhile the couple's first call was to South African compatriot Michael Withiel, who they had no doubt would know what to do, but the Kaitaia Fire Brigade also responded, although there wasn't much the crew could do apart from calling on Top Energy to cut the electricity.