OVERGAARD, AZ — Storm survey teams were busy working around the Heber-Overgaard area through Friday, but National Weather Service Flagstaff says Wednesday’s storm has not yet been ranked and classified as a tornado. They expect a report from the survey team to come out on Saturday.
People who live in the area say the damage feels extensive. Even though volunteers were able to remove all the branches from the roof of one Overgaard home Friday, a shed that blew into the house remains lodged there.
When the huge storm rolled in just after 7 p.m. Wednesday, Courtney Shull says she had just minutes to run to the bathroom with her two young kids and dog.
“I was honestly terrified,” Shull said. “I was doing everything not to cry. My children were crying, which made it a little bit harder.”
With morning, the sunrise revealed devastation across her town, Overgaard, and nearby Heber. More than 20 structures are damaged, trees are sliced in half, and a flipped trailer and damaged houses are among the destruction.
The cleanup started instantly and it has been continuous. First responders and neighbors are clearing power lines and roads and removing branches from homes.
“We've actually received a significant amount of help from locals here,” Jeff Masterson, the owner of the house with the shed flipped onto it, said. “I have a group of friends that showed up wanted to help do cleanup. So it's been a really good scenario with local people helping their neighbors.”
His next steps are working with insurance and trying to find a contractor for repairs.
“Pretty slow, being remote and up on the mountain, with regards to services,” Masterson said.
He’s worried about the timeline, with all the damage and demand for work.
“There is a lack of contractors up here,” Rick Koberna, Overgaard, said.
Koberna, who’s been working alongside volunteers to clear limbs from his street, is one contractor now planning to rebuild his own house with his own two hands after it sustained damage.
“I'm a 'get it done' kind of guy, and that's what matters,” Koberna said. He hopes through his business Pneuma Building and Development LLC, he might be able to help more neighbors during this time.
Now in day three of the cleanup, there is also a new resource in the area: The Salvation Army.
A mobile canteen was set up with snacks, fresh fruit, and bottled water just off of Highway 260 Friday, before moving into more heavily impacted areas.
The canteen, from Show Low, is being run by local volunteers. They say being there for their neighbors hits close to home, as they hope to spread a little hope.
“Reaching out, being there for them, a lot of times just sitting down talking to people is what they want and they need, and that's what we try to provide,” Kelly Guess, Salvation Army volunteer, said.
Miraculously, only one person was injured Wednesday. That man, who was riding a bike when he was hurt, was in stable condition the night of the storm.
As they pick up the pieces, so many people who live in Heber-Overgaard say over and over that they are feeling extremely grateful, since this devastating storm did not take any lives.
“I remember looking at my children in the bathroom once the storm had passed and I was just like, 'Oh my gosh, I’m so grateful my babies are okay,'” Shull said, crying. “Then I thought, like at this point I had no idea if there were any injuries, and I was just like praying that everyone else had the same experience, that they were able to keep their babies safe.”
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