A severe storm which crossed the North Island on 2 February 1936 caused substantial damage in and around Palmerston North, one of the hardest hit towns. Houses lost roofs, chimneys were blown over, the grandstands of the A and P Association, the Awapuni Racecourse and the sportsground were demolished, and a man was killed when he was blown off his roof as he tried to repair it. This photograph shows the damage to the power lines of the town. The Manawatu Evening Standard (3/02/1936) described the aftermath: "The worst damage of all to the electricity service was seen along Foxton Line, opposite Monrad Street. Starting just beyond Botanical Road and finishing at the turn off to the racecourse, sixteen of the poles carrying the main transmission line were flat on the roadway and tangled lines everywhere."