Tornado-hit school reopens

The new astroturf and few other areas containing buckled and bent metal remain out of bounds, but aside from that it's business as usual at Mount Maunganui Intermediate this Monday morning.

The school, on Lodge Avenue, was one of the worst hit areas during Thursday night's tornado that ripped through a narrow corridor of Mount Maunganui at around 8.30pm.


Mount Maunganui Intermediate's $120,000 astro turf was left in tatters after last Thursday's tornado. Photos: Cameron Avery.

Roofs were torn off, trampolines were sent flying and trees were uprooted, while ASB Baypark suffered extensive damage, with cladding and signage torn from the structure.

In total, 11 houses were reported to have sustained damage, while eight of those were evacuated to friends and family.

Forced to shut on Friday due to health and safety hazards, staff from the school, along with a helping hand from the community, saw a large chunk of the debris cleaned up.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council and Ministry of Education assessors completed their reports and outlined there were no immediate danger to staff and pupils.

'We put the call out to the community at about 11.30am for a working bee and within an hour-and-a-half a phenomenal amount was cleaned up in terms of debris and plant damage,” says Mount Maunganui Intermediate principal Lisa Morresey.

'The community and staff were phenomenal.”

The school grounds were a mess, with debris strewn far and wide and one of three trampolines from neighbouring homes going through an administration block window.

A pohutakawa tree was split and removed, while a $5000 shade sail was destroyed. But the worst damage was to the school's new $120,000 astroturf.

'It is just heart breaking,” says Lisa of the synthetic grass, which was only completed last December.

'We're just lucky because it could have been worse. It could have happened during a school day.”

With the assessors reports finished, the school is currently pricing up the repair the astroturf and will meet with the MOE, Civil Defence and council tomorrow.

Lisa adds it is going to take a few weeks to work through what the damage is and what is insured.

'It's business as usual today though,” she adds.

She pays tribute to Tauranga City Council's staff and maintenance contractors, for all their efforts in the clean-up.

The tornado went through Waitui Grove, Golf Road, Lodge Avenue, Ascot Place, Epsom Road, Maunganui Road, Owens Place and Baypark.

Fences, house roofs, trees, power transformers and trampolines were all destroyed when the tornado hit the Links Avenue area to Te Maunga.

Five commercial properties in Owens Place were damaged while ASB Baypark suffered extensive damage, with cladding and signage torn from the structure.

You may also like....

0 comments

Leave a Comment


You must be logged in to make a comment.