The destruction wrought by a tornado that ripped through National Park Village this morning has been revealed by images sent to 1 NEWS.
The tornado carved a clear path around 500 metres wide through the village on the North Island's Central Plateau.
Video and photos show buildings reduced to sticks and houses left roofless.
"Everything was just flying past the window. And it would have only lasted maybe a minute, and I knew when it stopped it was a tornado," National Park resident Rosemary Bothwell told 1 NEWS.
Margaret Hawthorne of Civil Defence says a tornado in New Zealand, let alone at the altitude of National Park, is very unusual.
National Park Village has a large number of holiday homes and authorities will be contacting owners whose properties are damaged.
A cordon remains in place overnight while contractors assess the damage.
Power has been restored to most of the village but Ruapehu District Council says some people may be without power overnight.
People who are unable to be in their damaged homes overnight have been accommodated.
Tornado ripped roofs off homes and cut power to thousands
Electrical storms, high winds and torrential rain hit most of the North Island today.
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