Tornado Damage

A tornado is a violent rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground.

The most violent can produce wind speeds up to 400kph, moving forward at average speeds of about 50kph.

They are a natural phenomenon we usually associate with the United States. They occur in Australia but are often unnoticed as they strike in unpopulated areas.

Residents in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia can tell us otherwise.

At approximately 6pm on 18 May 2003 a freak tornado accompanied by winds of up to 150kph hit the area. It ripped roofs complete with trusses from houses, tore huge gum trees from the ground with roots intact, threw street lights and debris across roads and knocked down power lines cutting electricity to Bendigo, Castlemaine and Maldon.

The tornado left a 7 kilometre trail of devastation through the surrounding suburbs. Approximately 100 homes were damaged and 10 destroyed. The famous Joss House listed by the National Trust also sustained damage. While the damage was largely residential it could just as easily have been industrial.

It has been a long time since Bendigo has seen such an event. Other tornadoes were reported in the area in 1899, 1905, 1906 and 1911.

This event highlights the need for adequate insurance. Not only can such disasters be unpredictable; their ferocity can be frightening.

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Author

Published with permission of Claim Solutions Pty Ltd.

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Insurance Policy

Country: - Australia

Policy Description: - Various

Insurer: - Various

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External Links

 

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