SANTA FE, N.M. —
The National Weather Service confirmed an EF-1 tornado touched down in Santa Fe Saturday night, with peak winds of 110 miles per hour causing widespread damage in the midtown area.
A roof was ripped off a house, trees were uprooted, and a mailbox was flung from its post, according to residents.
“But that house. That’s the roof that’s in our front yard,” one resident said.
Phil Lucero described the impact on his home, saying, “Our AC unit, our heat combo unit was knocked off the house. Our solar panels are potentially crushed. I can’t tell. So. And you know, we lost our tree. That’s always a bummer.”
Lucero’s 13-year-old son, Xavi, was home alone when the tornado struck.
“The winds were really strong and my wall just started shaking. And then eventually it just went silent,” Xavi said.
He sheltered in the bathroom with their dog until the storm passed.
“I was really, really scared,” Xavi said.
Erin Cave, who lives down the street, recounted her anxious drive home after receiving worried calls from neighbors during her child’s play.
“I came home not really knowing what to expect. Bracing maybe for the worst, but the trees uprooted is pretty scary,” Cave said.
A reporter described the scene at Cave’s home, saying, “I’m here at Erin’s, where she came home to this site last night. This mature tree had fallen down onto her wall, blocking this public walking path and leaving all this debris. She says she’s from Kansas and has never had a tornado hit her home until she moved to New Mexico.”
Across the street, another woman shared her experience during the storm.
“We were in shock and frozen and we couldn’t move. We just had to sit there and listen to it go by,” she said.
By Sunday morning, neighbors were out helping each other clean up the damage.
“That might be the silver lining of it all is everybody’s been really incredible and helpful and checking on each other, making sure they’re okay,” Cave said.
Residents passed chainsaws from house to house, ensuring no one had to face the aftermath of the rare tornado alone.