Dareton Tornado

Originally published June 26, 1964

A FAMILY of four stood terrified in a house at Dareton East as a tornado roared outside scattering wreckage over hundreds of square yards.

It happened about 8.10pm on the property of Mr Mel Wescombe, Block 287, Dareton East.

The storm came out of a peaceful night, ripping everything before it with a noise like continual thunder.

After the storm, Mr Wescombe found his big shed ripped away from its foundations and collapsed in a twisted mass only yards from the house.

A high boobealla hedge saved the house from much of the force of the wind.

One 40 foot long corrugated iron wall of the shed was blown in on top of two cars and a tractor in the shed.

All three vehicles were damaged.

Fifty yards away two dried fruit racks were stripped of their roofing.

Steel piping of the racks were snapped and twisted.

One 10 foot length of piping was found 100 yards away.

Sheets of roofing iron wee scattered throughout a citrus grove on the opposite side of the house more than 300 yards away.

Valencia organs were stripped from six trees by the wind. More than 20 other trees were damaged.

The 40 foot by 20 foot shed was crushed against the boo earls trees 30 foot from where it had stood.

Mr Wescombe, his wife and their two teenage sons, were home when the tornado hit.

A flickering of the lights was the only warning they had.

Mrs Wescombe said she could feel the floor trembling and when she heard a crash she thought a section of the wired-in back verandah had blown away.

The verandah was intact, but the floor was covered with a two-inch layer of dirt and leaves.

Other storm damage was reported throughout Sunraysia.

Mildura Weather Station recorded a wind gust of 60 miles per hour.