Gosh, the Birmingham tornado is being a real nightmare - 2,500 made homeless
Paul | 30.07.2005 06:40 | Ecology | Health | Social Struggles | Birmingham | World
A thousand houses were damaged and dozens may have to be bulldozed after the 130mph twister tore through Birmingham.
"Between 2,000 and 2,500 people have been affected," said Paul Tilsley, deputy leader of the city council.
"Between 2,000 and 2,500 people have been affected," said Paul Tilsley, deputy leader of the city council.
30 July 2005
TORNADO REFUGEES
2,500 left homeless after twister tears through city
By Rod Chaytor
REFUGEES from the tornado face losing their homes, it was revealed yesterday.
A thousand houses were damaged and dozens may have to be bulldozed after the 130mph twister tore through Birmingham.
"Between 2,000 and 2,500 people have been affected," said Paul Tilsley, deputy leader of the city council.
He added: "It's inevitable that there will be demolitions of some houses from what I've seen.
"Some had very bad structural damage and there is only one thing for them and that is pull them down."
Thursday's storm caused millions of pounds of damage, ripping the roofs off buildings, uprooting trees and hurling cars around.
Around 30 people were hurt, three seriously, but emergency services said it was a "miracle" no one was killed.
Families spent a second night in emergency accommodation last night after their homes were declared unsafe and damaged streets cordoned off. Some were put up by neighbours, hundreds more stayed at a sports centre in Balsall Heath.
Mr Tilsley said some may have to spend all weekend camped in community centres. He said: "Hopefully people will be able to return to less affected properties today but it may be next week for some people."
Residents in Birchwood Road in King's Heath, one of the worst hit streets, spoke of their devastation.
Jo Hindley and John Christophers had to flee with their six-month-old son Theo after a tree smashed onto their roof.
She said: "We feel like refugees because we can't get back into our own home to get any of our possessions. We are having to rely on borrowed clothes.
"I'm worried that we have no contents insurance because I was burgled four times last year and the premium was too high. I am just hoping all the damage is structural because the only insurance we have is for the outside."
Irena Wieczerzynska, 30, a project officer for the NHS, said: "This is such a deprived area and many people do not have insurance. My neighbours had most of their property blown out of the windows or damaged. They do not have insurance so they really have lost everything.
"Nobody is being allowed into their houses and we can't even see if our pets are OK. I've got two cats and I'm worried whether they are alive or not."
A policeman was attacked after refusing to let a man through the safety cordon at one damaged street. Police said: "He suffered a dislocated knee. One person has been arrested."
A huge clean-up operation began with council chiefs ordering a fleet of "cherrypicker" lorries to scoop debris from roofs and gutters. Residents helped emergency services and engineers clear tons of rubble, bricks, glass and fence panels from streets.
Cranes were brought in to remove trees that had fallen onto cars.
Seventy per cent of houses in the Small Heath, King's Heath and Moseley areas were without power.
A second tornado struck the Peterborough area hours later.
Villagers in nearby Moulton, Lincs, were watching TV news of the Birmingham twister when it hit.
It reached 130mph and sent slates flying off roofs and garden walls crashing down. Trees were ripped up and garages reduced to rubble. There were no reports of any casualties.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=15798130%26method=full%26siteid=94762%26headline=tornado%2drefugees%2d-name_page.html
TORNADO REFUGEES
2,500 left homeless after twister tears through city
By Rod Chaytor
REFUGEES from the tornado face losing their homes, it was revealed yesterday.
A thousand houses were damaged and dozens may have to be bulldozed after the 130mph twister tore through Birmingham.
"Between 2,000 and 2,500 people have been affected," said Paul Tilsley, deputy leader of the city council.
He added: "It's inevitable that there will be demolitions of some houses from what I've seen.
"Some had very bad structural damage and there is only one thing for them and that is pull them down."
Thursday's storm caused millions of pounds of damage, ripping the roofs off buildings, uprooting trees and hurling cars around.
Around 30 people were hurt, three seriously, but emergency services said it was a "miracle" no one was killed.
Families spent a second night in emergency accommodation last night after their homes were declared unsafe and damaged streets cordoned off. Some were put up by neighbours, hundreds more stayed at a sports centre in Balsall Heath.
Mr Tilsley said some may have to spend all weekend camped in community centres. He said: "Hopefully people will be able to return to less affected properties today but it may be next week for some people."
Residents in Birchwood Road in King's Heath, one of the worst hit streets, spoke of their devastation.
Jo Hindley and John Christophers had to flee with their six-month-old son Theo after a tree smashed onto their roof.
She said: "We feel like refugees because we can't get back into our own home to get any of our possessions. We are having to rely on borrowed clothes.
"I'm worried that we have no contents insurance because I was burgled four times last year and the premium was too high. I am just hoping all the damage is structural because the only insurance we have is for the outside."
Irena Wieczerzynska, 30, a project officer for the NHS, said: "This is such a deprived area and many people do not have insurance. My neighbours had most of their property blown out of the windows or damaged. They do not have insurance so they really have lost everything.
"Nobody is being allowed into their houses and we can't even see if our pets are OK. I've got two cats and I'm worried whether they are alive or not."
A policeman was attacked after refusing to let a man through the safety cordon at one damaged street. Police said: "He suffered a dislocated knee. One person has been arrested."
A huge clean-up operation began with council chiefs ordering a fleet of "cherrypicker" lorries to scoop debris from roofs and gutters. Residents helped emergency services and engineers clear tons of rubble, bricks, glass and fence panels from streets.
Cranes were brought in to remove trees that had fallen onto cars.
Seventy per cent of houses in the Small Heath, King's Heath and Moseley areas were without power.
A second tornado struck the Peterborough area hours later.
Villagers in nearby Moulton, Lincs, were watching TV news of the Birmingham twister when it hit.
It reached 130mph and sent slates flying off roofs and garden walls crashing down. Trees were ripped up and garages reduced to rubble. There were no reports of any casualties.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=15798130%26method=full%26siteid=94762%26headline=tornado%2drefugees%2d-name_page.html
Paul