Hi, Steve & Michael, Can fill you in with a few details about this event.
You're right Steve re: journos' ability to report correctly. Firstly they spelt my surname wrong ...it's spelt Kennewell..not KenneRwell. Secondly, I presently reside in Marrickville,.not Macksville and finally I did not describe the noise as a "freight train". That cliched bit of trollip was pure journalistic licence (I will perhaps concede that while I believe, I "sheltered " on the floor... "cowering" MAY be a more appropriate term).
RE: The tornado. It hit approx. 10 pm. and was part of a pretty nasty storm, buckets of rain, wind gusts, lightning etc. - normal storm stuff. I was sitting on the step of the caravan that drops onto the annex floor, as such no funnel was visible (to me). That afternoon I had worked pretty hard removing an old rooftop mounted air conditioner, that had plagued me for some 18-20 years with leaks. So I was occupied looking up at the roof, smug in the knowledge that I had finally resolved the leaking .
What I will now describe took between 4 to 7 secs.
The noise torrential rain makes on a caravan and hard annex roof is extremely loud, however there was a distinct change to the TYPE of sound. I've really struggled to describe this to people.(which may explain the journo's cliche), but what I keep falling back on is this; Imagine the sound wind makes when it blows through a stand of she-oaks...then give it more "substance"..(a bit like AC/DC on the radio compared to a live AC/DC concert). You don't just hear - you feel the noise. This was accompanied by what I can only describe as a very noticeable drop in pressure as if the air had suddenly gone from the caravan.
The annex had only been erected the prior day and had yet to be furnished with curtains. As such, I had hung a beach towel by 2 screws from the top of the caravan door to afford some degree of privacy. The towel went horizontal. No violent flapping, just flat and as stiff as a board sideways. It quivered only at the end. The annex had gone and stuff flew past me including a full size masonry (concrete) block on an UPWARD trajectory. Glass was breaking everywhere.
I remember curling into a small space, between a small bar fridge and the inbuilt bench / bed at the end of the van. The van was vibrating very rapidly & quite violently at the other end. Only 2 days previously I had tethered one end of the van (the end I was cowering !) with large chains & turnbuckles. I hadn't got around to the other end. Then it stopped. 4 to 7 seconds.
Was it a tornado ?
I believe it was. I also believe I have some street cred. when it comes to tornadoes.
As a 10yr. old I saw a tornado...classic white funnel rip the roof off our home in Kendall, some 15 min. drive inland from Bonny Hills. My parents were in it at the time. A couple of years later a tornado at Laurieton. 5 min drive from Bonny Hills picked up an entire weatherboard house & dumped it 20 metres away on the road (could this area be our "alley"?). In addition, as a glider pilot I have spent many hours watching storms at our Bathurst airfield witnessing two other classic white funnels (one from the air) as well as many clear air dust devils or willy willies as we called them.
Viewing the aftermath the next day left no doubt it was a tornado. The path of destruction was very distinct and complete. One van & annex completely torn apart, the next 5 metres away untouched. I can only give thanks I wasn't in the annex when it hit.
The result of all this brings me to a very uncomfortable conclusion. There is NO time to prepare. As stated, from the moment of even sensing something different, took less than 10 secs.The time between recognizing danger and the danger hitting was about 3 secs.
God help anyone who could've been asleep when it hit.
Hope this helps. Cheers grantk.
