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'Tornado killed my chicken' claims Trevone woman

By Cornish Guardian  |  Posted: November 13, 2013

  • 'Tornado killed my chicken' claims Trevone woman

  • MAYHEM: A polytunnel destroyed by the whirlwind, inset: Jo Olivey with what remains of her Wendy house.

  • SHELTER: Graham and Kay Browning and their dog Lottie.

  • Jo Olivey with what remains of her Wendy House.

  • The polytunnel at Trevone Farm was flattened by the whirlwind.

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A FREAK whirlwind caused thousands of pounds' worth of damage to property after ripping through three North Cornwall coastal villages early on Saturday morning.

Outbuildings were destroyed in Trevone, and roofs of houses were damaged in Harlyn Bay and Constantine Bay after what residents described as a "tornado'' struck the area.

A terrified couple out walking their dog at 7.30am on Saturday in Trevone ran to take shelter in a ditch as debris flew towards them.

Another resident of the village found her chicken shed had been upended and landed on a road, killing one of her chickens.

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Kay Browning and her husband Graham were walking their dog Lottie at Trevone when the tornado struck.

Mrs Browning said it was a frightening experience.

"There was a terrifying noise like a low-flying jet, and planks of wood and other debris started to shoot over our heads. It was quite terrifying and we jumped into a ditch to take shelter.

"We could hear things crashing and smashing, which we later realised were greenhouses being damaged. The destruction that was caused was amazing.

"We were just huddled together in the ditch with Lottie. It was very scary. It only lasted a couple of minutes and then everything fell silent. I've never experienced anything like it," said Mrs Browning.

Richard Trenough, who owns Trevone Farm, lost a 150ft-long polytunnel and the freak wind was so strong two of his metal cattle feeders were lifted into the air, one ending up 150 yards away in another field.

"I'm calling it a tornado because it cut such a narrow swathe through the village.

"My cattle feeders just seemed to take off, even though they were sheltered next to a hedge. The polytunnel has survived gale after gale for over 20 years, but not the tornado. It was a once-in-a-lifetime event, and I'll never see the like again," said Mr Trenough.

Jo Olivey, who runs the Pols Piece holiday letting agency in Trevone, said she was in bed when she heard the tornado coming towards her home, and lost up to £3,000-worth of property when it struck.

"It sounded like a steam engine coming towards us and I could hear debris crashing onto the house.

"I looked out and saw my Wendy house and chicken house had disappeared.

"The chicken house was lifted up and landed in the road, and part of it was found the next day half a mile away. Sadly, my chicken didn't survive.

"The Wendy house landed in a neighbour's garden and two very heavy straw bales were rolled 30 feet across the field," she said.

A spokesman for the Met Office in Exeter said it could not verify if it was a tornado that struck the three villages.

"To be a tornado, it has to have a destructive funnel cloud that touches the ground, and we have around 30 a year in the UK.

"To verify whether it was a tornado, we either need photos, or for it to be picked up by our weather station at Cardinham, but nothing was registered. It could have been an intense squally wind."

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