Villagers still live in their damaged houses and wait for repairs to be completed more than three months following a tornado.
A three-tonne campervan had been hurled 20ft in the air before falling into a neighbouring property in Humberston, Lincolnshire, battering properties in its wake at around 9.30am on September 27.
After it caused havoc on two roads, Coniston Crescent (and Derwent Drive), the vehicle was taken out of service along with other vehicles from Buttermere Crescent.
But three months later, residents are still struggling with home repairs, and finding tradesmen to help with the job is proving a challenge, Grimsby Live reports.
Unnamed resident claimed that insurers won’t pay because wind speeds were ‘just 48 mph, according to their survey,’ which means it’s not storm damage.
A resident said that 48 mph wind was not strong enough to move a campervan or cause any damage. This is what it made frustrating.
Linda and Bob Salt’s garden fence was torn up and their brick wall destroyed. They have left a skip with piles of tiles outside while they wait for the workmen.
The three-tonne campervan, weighing in at over three tons, was being thrown into the air 20 feet high. It then crashed into Humberston, Lincolnshire’s neighboring property, battering its surroundings around 9:30am on September 27, 2012.
Left to right: Gary Fox, Linda and Bob Salt. Mrs Salt says dealing with the insurers about the damage was a ‘nothing more than hassle’. She adds that it would have been helpful if people actually did what they promised.
A resident who didn’t want to be identified claimed insurance companies won’t cover storm damage because it was not considered to have been wind-related. According to the survey, winds were only 48 MPH.
Mrs Salt said: ‘It was like a bomb had gone off or a plane had crashed. I didn’t know whether to stay indoors for safety or go outside. I could see roof tiles flying around like a deck of cards so couldn’t go out. It was terrifying.’
But she claims dealing with insurers over the damage has been ‘nothing but hassle’, adding: ‘It would have helped if people came and did what they said they would do.
‘There were holes in our roof for weeks and then the rain poured in causing more damage in the kitchen. If the holes in the roof had got sorted sooner we wouldn’t be in this mess with damp in the kitchen ceiling.’
Mr Salt’s Fiat Panda somehow escaped the damage without a scratch.
Mrs Salt described it as “like a bomb went off” or a plane crashed. I wasn’t sure if it was safer to remain indoors or venture outside. The roof tiles were flying about like a deck, so I was afraid to go outside. It was frightening.
His Fiat Panda, Mr Salt, somehow managed to avoid the harm without getting scratched.
Gary Fox, Mr Salt’s neighbour who owns the campervan which was blown across the street, says he has had a ‘terrible time’ of trying to get repairs, which have been taking months due to a shortage of tradesmen.
The tragic loss of Mr Fox’s mother just two weeks prior to the tornado added stress to his situation.
He claimed that his campervan was written off by LV and that LV paid him out with a hamper. But, home insurances were a ‘failure’.
He is still waiting to have his gas stove repaired.
David Quinn from another neighbor said his entire ridge tile collection was removed, and his garage door had been damaged.
Humberston’s tornado damage is seen by locals