News

Actions

Downburst wind topples 40+ power poles, leaves major damage near San Tan Valley

Posted at 7:50 PM, Jun 29, 2016
and last updated 2016-06-30 07:36:40-04

Our latest monsoon storm hit hard Wednesday night, toppling power poles and leaving major damage at structures around the Valley.

Check forecast updates.

Air15 video showed dozens of power lines down along Arizona Farms Road about a mile east of Hunt Highway after a downburst wind hit the area.

Thousands of SRP customers nearby lost power just before 6 p.m. Nearly 2,000 customers were without power at10 p.m., and all but about 50 customers were restored by 5 a.m. Thursday. Check SRP's outage map.

Footage also showed a hay shed ripped apart southeast of San Tan Valley, with pieces of the structure stretched across a field.

The storm also brought quarter-sized hail and gusty winds to nearby Queen Creek.

Dozens of power lines snapped in half and a roof was ripped off a home in Florence. 

A downburst hit the home straight on, picking up the roof and smashing it to the ground. 

"I've never seen anything like this," said Martha Flores, who is a family friend to the people who's home was damaged. 

The family was out of town in Tucson when the rain moved through. 

It left the inside of the home soaked, windows broken, the porch awnings in pieces and the roof remains scattered across the ground. 

"It's really sad because they're really good people," said Flores. "It's terrible to see something like this happen to them."

The monsoon season is just beginning and one family is already victims to it's force. 

"You can ever underestimate monsoon season," said Flores.