A couple in Heber-Overgaard, Arizona, survived a suspected tornado that lifted their home from its foundations and shifted it about four feet from the porch.
Margaret Wilkie said she and her husband were inside when he spotted a funnel cloud outside on Wednesday evening. They dropped to the floor as powerful winds tore through the property.
“He actually saw a funnel cloud, yeah,” Ms Wilkie said.
The storm left a trail of destruction across the couple’s garden. A trailer was flipped into a tree, while a 14ft boat was hurled through the air and landed upside down on the far side of another tree, with only its motor left behind.
“It happened so fast. It was crazy,” Ms Wilkie said.
The National Weather Service in Flagstaff is examining the damage to determine whether the storm was a tornado and, if so, how strong it was. Its warning, issued at 7.02pm on Wednesday, said a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was over Heber-Overgaard and moving north-east at 40mph, with hail up to 1.25in in diameter. ([forecast.weather.gov](https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?format=CI&glossary=0&issuedby=FGZ&product=TOR&site=RNK&version=5&utm_source=openai))
Heber-Overgaard storm leaves dozens of structures damaged
Officials said the damage was spread across the community, with trees, homes and power lines affected. A preliminary assessment recorded 46 damaged structures and one non-life-threatening injury to a bicyclist, according to a National Weather Service storm report. ([forecast.weather.gov](https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?format=TXT&glossary=0&issuedby=FGZ&product=LSR&site=GRR&version=9&utm_source=openai))
Rick Koberna, another resident, described a sudden shift from intense hail to violent winds as the storm crossed his property.
“Tons of hail. Hail was just coming down. All of a sudden, the hail quit, the winds started blowing and all of a sudden, we started hearing things up against the house, hitting it,” he said.
Mr Koberna said the noise became so loud that it sounded as though a large tree was rolling across the roof. He later pointed to split tree trunks, saying the damage showed how the wind had rotated through the area.
“It rotated and just split. It’s just unbelievable. Crazy,” he said.
The National Weather Service team surveying Heber-Overgaard said its work would involve assessing the extent of the damage and assigning a rating to the storm’s strength. Some residents said emergency alerts reached them only after the worst of the weather had passed.
Clean-up operations are continuing, while emergency crews assess damaged properties and deal with fallen trees and other hazards. A reception centre and shelter were also made available for residents displaced by the storm.
Ms Wilkie said she was grateful that she and her husband had survived, but that the couple would deal with the aftermath gradually.
“Be happy with what you have,” she said. “Something like this happens, have you keep moving and take it one step at a time.”
