Houses were left in a state of “absolute disaster” after a “localised tornado” hurtled through Stalybridge in Tameside.
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Strong gusts from Storm Gerrit whipped through the town in Greater Manchester on Wednesday damaging around 100 properties.
No injuries were reported but many residents were forced to leave their homes.
Local Andy Turner said that the tornado lasted for about 15 seconds and was “pure carnage”.
He said: “At 11.30pm last night, there was – all I can describe – is a hurricane came through. It lasted for about 15 seconds.
“Cars were parked outside the house. My wife’s car is a write-off. My car took a bit of the brunt of the tree.
“It’s just lucky that nobody was hurt. It was pure carnage.”
Another resident Alison Atkinson said all roads were blocked near her house and pavements had been torn up by the wind.
Euan Walsh, 21, who lives in Cherry Grove, claimed a pint may have saved his life.
“I was in Wetherspoons when it happened,” he told the Oldham Times.
“The windows from the Bistro next to it came in.
“I just finished work and I was going to walk home when I decided to go to the pub – so a pint saved my life possibly!”
Dad Kevin Welsh, 57, added: “I was watching the Woman in Black when I heard all this noise outside.
“I’ve lived here for 36 years and never experienced anything like this – we do get strong winds but only in one direction, this came from every direction and lasted all of one minute.”
Matthew Marsland, who lives opposite the badly damaged homes on Hough Hill Road, said he heard a “crazy noise” and “vibations through the window” for about thirty seconds when the freak weather event hit.
He went into the street to pick up some debris after and noticed a gutter lying in the middle of the road, before he realised his neighbour’s roof had been destroyed.
“I heard extreme noise at my back window,” he said. “I was stood at my patio door and there was just basically a crazy sounding noise and then vibrations through the glass.
“I looked out of the window and saw a bit of debris so I thought I’d go out and pick a few bits up.
“Then I saw a piece of tree next to my neighbour’s car, then I looked further along the street and saw a gutter in the middle of the street so I thought I’d go and pick that up, and then I saw my neighbour had had half his house torn off.”
He said the whole incident lasted “25 to 30 seconds”.
“Two or three minutes later the entire estate was on the street, and we were just wondering what would happen next,” he added.
He said he “saw the intensity of the rain” through his back door and “could feel the moisture of the rain through the glass”.
“I wouldn’t have had time to react even if I had wanted to – and then before anything had happened it was all over.”
Another man, whose car was badly damaged in the incident, said it was “lucky nobody was killed”.
The ABI reassured people and businesses affected that insurers will be available to provide help and support.
Spokesman Malcolm Tarling said: “Insurers expect and are ready for any type of bad weather, such as tornado-force winds.
“When bad weather strikes, their priority is always to help and support their customers recover as quickly as practical.
“Anyone who has suffered damage should contact their insurer for advice.”
Chief Superintendent Mark Dexter from GMP said: “This incident has undoubtedly affected numerous people in the Stalybridge area with many residents displaced from their properties during the night.
“Our highest priority is keeping people safe which is why we are advising those who have been displaced not to return or enter their properties which have significant damage until they have been assessed by structural engineers.
“I would also like to urge members of the public to avoid the area where possible and take extra care when travelling in vehicles on the roads in Stalybridge and the surrounding areas, due to debris in the road.”
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