Northland mum describes lucky escape after tornado rips into home, leaving shards of glass stuck in couch, walls

June 5, 2019

Chrystal Kirkwood of Coopers Beach, Northland and her three kids weren’t home when the destruction took place.

A Northland family had a lucky escape today after a tornado ripped through their home leaving large shards of glass embedded in the walls and couch.

Chrystal Kirkwood and her three kids and husband weren’t at their Coopers Beach home when the destruction took place.

"I had literally left 10 minutes prior to the tornado hitting," Ms Kirkwood told 1 NEWS.

She had just arrived at work in Kaitaia when neighbours called to say her home was hit by a tornado.

"My house looked fine from afar, when I got closer I saw there were no windows and everything had been destroyed in the house.

"There were shards of glass in the walls at head height even and smashed through the couches.

"Luckily no one was home because if they were they could have been sat on the couch," she said, surrounded by the damage in her living room.

A clean up operation is now underway at the house which has been left open to the elements.

At least 12 houses were damaged this morning by the tornado that ripped through the Mangonui, Coopers Beach area in Northland.
 

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