At about the same time, the Lions catering van parked at the Mallala Motorsport Park had a tree fall on it, casuing extensive damage. If it had happened six hours later, Lions volunteers and racegoers waiting to watch the GI Drift Competition could also have been injured or died.
Then, later in the week, on Wednesday morning at around 9.30am, a tornado hit the small town of Redbanks, just six kilometres south of Mallala. It caused extensive damage to a small part of Redbanks, focusing mainly on one property, removing fencing and the roof of the house, and nearly completely knock down the sturdily built stables.
I am the editor of the Mallala Crossroads Chronicle, a newsletter for the town of Mallala, published monthly, and usually only six pages of fairly staid news. Not this month! The July issue, which will come out early next week will be ten pages, and has some photos of devastation. Again, no-one was hurt in this incident, the residents had gone out, fortunately, but the horses and dog were terrified.
Sadly I have no photos of the damage at Redbanks, but this roving reporter has learned a lesson - I need to get a new phone which is compatible with my computer, so I can take photos whenever I see something happening, and report it to my readers.
One of my friends refused to believe it could have been a tornado, but I have been in contact with the Weather Bureau and they have gone back and checked their radar records and have confirmed that it more than likely was a tornado.
So that was my most exciting news period! I have felt like many reporters feel about these things - sadness for the loss to others, but excitement at getting a great front page story. Such is life if news is what you do. Bad things are a double edged sword.
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