Just A Normal Sunday!!

[Rocksurfer]

It started out pretty normal but there was a storm coming it was predicted to get a little windy up to about 50mph. We were planning on going to this little Mexican restaurant at the corner but got a late start so it turned into brunch. We walked over and it was pretty windy but not too bad for the area but normally we don't get it even that bad on our side of town. So we got our table, ordered and started having some chips and salsa. The wind seemed to just be getting worse and worse outside and there was lots of dust and such, again not un-typical for the area but unusual for this side of town.

We got our lunch and chowed down and still it was getting worse and worse outside, it was getting very strange. There were all of a sudden what seemed like micro bursts ripping through the area and we had a front seat view through the windows of the restaurant. Then all of a sudden it seemed that there were small rotations and they were headed straight towards us. First the entrance door was ripped off with one blast then they just kept coming and coming wave after wave. Then a very large rotation about 3 to 4 blocks around blasted through, I now know what people mean when they say the wind sounded like a train was driving right through, it was the most unbelievable sound I've ever heard. There was a lot of noise and banging and rattling and it blew the other door open the opposite way it should open.

My thoughts were this didn't sound so good but it blew by so we kinda went back to finishing our meal but I noticed that cars were stopping and people were getting out looking our direction. I got up and looked and part of the roof of the building we were sitting in was on top of a car out front. By no means was this over, more waves of this wind started pounding us and I was now keen to the issue and realized that we may now be in peril if the roof continued to come apart. I tried to inform the staff of what was happening and that they should clear the restaurant but they kind of laughed and continued to serve people.

About that time another wave struck the building and the ceiling started to lift so I walked out, found some decent cover and called 911. I informed them of what was happening so they dispatched the FD. Meanwhile inside I think they start to figure out something bad was happening since all of he patrons were practically flying out since the A/C unit on the roof flew across the street and over the houses.

From that point I realized that my house, cars and property were in the line of fire from the debris so I worked my way to the corner being careful as these waves were just pounding the building ripping the roof apart. When I looked around the corner of the building sure enough most all of this debris was just hammering several homes including mine. Our cars were just covered in roofing and anything else that was coming off the top of this place. My home is pretty well protected with a steel fence and didn't suffer any damage but others have broken windows, gates and fences. All of our vehicles have debris damage, my Durango' rear is pretty beat up, my Camry got some damage, my brother's Mitsubishi got hit by stuff and most of our neighbors are damaged too.

My brother was struck by some debris and tried to jump over it but was tripped and fell to his knees, a piece of roof also face planted my next door neighbor, I think they were the only two that got hit by anything. We all got hit by little stuff but they both got some pretty big shots.

Currently there's nothing, dead calm.

[thegoofster21]

holy 

[Rocksurfer]

It got pretty intense, at times we had to duck for cover behind cars to avoid getting hit by crap. I have aftermath pics I took for insurance, I found cars three blocks away with damage since with every wave it would take debris with it. Stuff that was covering my vehicles would be wisked away only to slam into something else down the street.

[Rocksurfer]

A few images I've been able to resize so far....

[Stocker]

     Wow...  lucky nobody was seriously hurt! 

[pumkin toy]

we get lots of wind here in SD. sometimes gusts up over 60 MPH all day long, but i hav'nt been through anything that has caused damage like that!

[87pickup]

Crazy, glad to hear no one was seriously injured.

[Rocksurfer]

Well we've got things pretty well cleaned up, the property owner of the building brought a crew out and started hauling everything off. My brothers pain is getting worse so I don't know how that's going to go, he went home and is going to get to his doctor in the morning. The pain is shooting up his leg now into his back, hope he'll feel better. This was one wild day. I'm headed for the shower and then going to bed.

[79coyotefrg]

sounds like a small    did you see any cows?? 

[Rocksurfer]

sounds like a small    did you see any cows?? 

If it was then there were around 50 of them, they did have rotation to some degree but don't know about being truly one.

[kneedownnate]

Santa Anna winds 

[Rocksurfer]

No, there was a low pressure system. It was expected to be windy but the wind usually does not occur by us. Normally it gets bad towards the I-10 by the wind farms but we are generally protected from them by the mountains. These winds came across the face of the mountains, very unusual.