Jade said her family monitored conditions with a small anemometer before the damage occurred.
“We only measured it at 109 km/h, but it must be more,” she said.
“That was the shortest gust we saw and then the roof fell off, so it must have picked up.”
Despite the destruction, all three people in the house escaped uninjured.
“We’re all fine,” she said.
“It was like what you imagine a hurricane would do, we were just lucky the windows didn't blow out. We have windows on that side and that's what we thought would go, not the roof.”
Since then, the family has started cleaning up. Friends and relatives set out to help clear the debris before the wind picks up again.
She said trees fell nearby just before the roof was lifted off. “We watched these trees fall one by one and thought, 'Oh no, all that.' [neighbour’s] Deer will come out…and then our roof will be broken.”
She said the storm also blew a water tank onto the property.
Wild weather raged across the South Island and lower North Island today, with severe weather warnings in place across the country.
In Hanmer Springs, 50 properties are being evacuated as a precautionary measure due to a large vegetation fire.
Fire and rescue crews are battling the fire on Medway Road, where Hurunui District Council is helping residents evacuate.
The first-class wedding venue Braemar Lodge and Spa is also among those affected.
Access to the village of Hanmer Springs is closed as State Highway 7A is closed. Evacuees are directed to proceed to the Hanmer Springs Attractions Jet Boat base.
Potentially deadly winds of up to 150km/h are expected across the South Island today. Red strong wind warnings are in effect for Canterbury, Wellington and Wairarapa.
More than 100 flights have been canceled and Canterbury remains under a local state of emergency as forecasters warn the worst may not be over yet.
Heavy rain warnings are also in effect, with up to 150mm more rain expected in parts of the South Island.
Mike Thorpe is a senior multimedia journalist for the Herald, based in Christchurch.