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UK: HOMES DESTROYED BY TORNADO December 8, 2006
Zainab Osman
(SomaliNet) Heavy storms and floods caused massive destruction and devastation across Britain Thursday. A tornado ripped into houses while cars were swept away in a swollen river and thousands of homes were left without power. Six people were injured and more than 150 homes were damaged in Kensal Rise, north London, as a 130mph twister hit the suburb.
Several civilians spoke of the damage caused to their homes, one woman saw the wall of her house "peeled away as if by a can-opener" and another spoke of an "evil black cloud" that snuffed out a previously bright sky. Hazel Williams, 36, whose house was split open by the tornado, said: "I saw my fence blown in and then I heard the most awful crash. I ran into the hallway and it was covered in dust and debris. All the windows had blown in. Motorist Mary Cass, 32, was driving along the same street when she saw a bus being blown into the air.
Of the injured, one man in his 50s suffered a head injury and was taken to hospital then released after treatment. The others were treated for shock and minor injuries. Brent Council set up a respite centre for residents made temporarily homeless.
The Association of British Insurers said it was too early to estimate the cost of the damage, but the Birmingham tornado in 2005 ran into "tens of millions of pounds". In north Wales, 60mph winds and high tides caused havoc as the River Dee burst its banks, flooding homes in Llangollen.
More than 2,000 homes in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight were left in darkness after 70mph gales ripped electricity pylons from the ground. Southern Electric said the company had doubled its staff in response to the bad weather, which hampered repair efforts. Also in Hampshire, Hedge End station near Southampton had to be shut and train services were disrupted as flood waters swamped tracks.