Damage is being assessed in a northeastern Arizona community after a possible tornado ripped through Wednesday night, October 21. The possible storm knocked down power poles and caused serious damage, AZ Family reported.
Power has been out in the area. However, it is unclear how many Navopache Electric Cooperative customers were affected. The company stated that it does not have an estimated time for when power will be restored.
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Rep. Walt Blackman said that the storm caused “considerable damage” in the Heber-Overgaard area. At least one person was reportedly hurt.
Witnesses speak out
Betty Nixon, who has lived in Heber for eight years, said that the storm hit around 7 p.m.
“I was in the kitchen, and I just heard the sounds outside were not normal. The wind, the house started getting pelted with debris,” she said. “I got on the floor with the dogs and just was worried that the windows were gonna shatter. It sounded like a tornado.”
Nixon said that a large part of her neighbor’s tree was down in her yard. Another neighbor’s windows broke during the storm, she claimed.
{{/usCountry}}Nixon said that a large part of her neighbor’s tree was down in her yard. Another neighbor’s windows broke during the storm, she claimed.
{{/usCountry}}According to Nixon, the sudden and intense storm lasted only about 30 to 45 seconds.
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“I had no warning whatsoever,” she said. “It was just this horrible sound of wind and flying debris crashing against the house. And that was my first warning.”
Meanwhile, the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office said it is responding to a major incident in the Overgaard area. It also asked people to avoid two areas – State Route 260 between Mogollon and the Overgaard Airpark, and areas north of State Route 377 extending toward Tonto.
Blackman said that he wants Gov. Katie Hobbs to declare a state of emergency for the area.
“Our immediate priorities must be protecting lives, restoring electrical service, ensuring public safety, and providing assistance to families whose homes and property have been damaged,” he said.