STORM DOES DAMAGE!

On Sunday 18th January 2009 there was a BIG storm. There were shops closing due to flooding and cars stopping because of floods AND power cuts. The Metservice weather forecast had issued a thunderstorm warning from Dunedin to Picton. Many people gave up on the idea of the storm since it was meant to hit at about 3:30. I could hear thunder at 2:30 though! Then it stopped so we went out to do some shopping. By the time we got back it was really dark. Then mum realised she had forgot the bread. So mum and I rushed out AGAIN! this time the rain, the hail, the thunder and lightning got started. WE RAN into the bread shop (couplands). There was flooding in there. When we got out the street was covered by about an inch of water. From a distance the cars looked like they were in a lake! At Dyers Pass road water was streaming down the hill like a raging river. The gutters had flooded the footpath and the cars parked on the road! So mum and I had to park on the other side of the road (were it wasn’t too badly flooded) , take of our jandals and wade through about a foot of water. The next day in the Press they said Filladelfios had to shut due to flooding, same as Barrington Mall and Couplands. This followed after a magnificent water spout seen at 10am off Scarborough beach in Sumner.