HEBER-OVERGAARD, AZ (AZFamily) — Crews are assessing damage in a northeastern Arizona community after a possible tornado ripped through Wednesday night, knocking down power poles and causing serious damage.
According to state Rep. Walt Blackman, the storm caused “considerable damage” in the Heber-Overgaard area. At least one person has been hurt.
Residents describe a sudden burst of violent wind and flying debris that lasted less than a minute.(Brandon Utter)
Power is out in the area, but it’s unclear how many Navopache Electric Cooperative customers are affected. The company said it does not have an estimated time for when power will be restored.
Betty Nixon, who has lived in Heber for eight years, said the violent 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.”
She said a large part of her neighbor’s tree was down in her yard and another neighbor’s windows reportedly shattered.
The sudden, intense storm lasted only about 30 to 45 seconds, Nixon said.
“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.”
The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning at 7:03 p.m. for Aripine and Heber-Overgaard, right around the time the storm was moving through the area.
The Navajo County Sheriff’s Office said it’s responding to a major incident in the Overgaard area and that people should avoid two areas:
State Route 260 between Mogollon and the Overgaard AirparkAreas north of State Route 377 extending toward Tonto
Blackman said 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.
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