Likely tornado damages 20 to 30 homes in Heber-Overgaard; White Mountains lawmaker asks Hobbs for an emergency declaration

A suspected tornado tore through Heber-Overgaard in Navajo County on Wednesday evening, damaging between 20 and 30 homes and sending one person to the hospital, local officials said Thursday, during a run of severe storms that brought northern Arizona its largest wave of tornado warnings since 2010.

The Navajo County Sheriff's Office said the storm touched down in Overgaard shortly after 7 p.m., KNAU Arizona Public Radio reported. The National Weather Service had issued a tornado warning shortly before it arrived, and forecasters were heading to the area Thursday to determine whether it was a tornado.

Heber-Overgaard Fire Chief Jason Payne said a bicyclist caught outside was thrown by the wind and taken to Summit Healthcare Regional Medical Center with injuries that were not life-threatening. "We're lucky," Payne said at a Thursday briefing. "No fatalities or serious injuries."

Crews spent Thursday on damage assessments, with a focus on damaged propane tanks and downed power lines. Power was out in the area, and officials urged residents to stay away from damaged electrical equipment.

Help for displaced residents

A reception center for people displaced by the storm opened at the Navajo County Heber Complex, 2188 W. Country Club Drive in Heber, and the Red Cross opened a shelter at Capps Middle School, 3375 Buckskin Canyon Road.

Call for an emergency declaration

State Rep. Walt Blackman, a Republican who represents eastern Arizona and the White Mountains, asked Gov. Katie Hobbs to declare a state of emergency for the affected parts of Navajo County. A declaration would bring additional state money and could open the way to a federal declaration if leaders decide one is needed, KNAU reported.

"Waiting until every damaged structure has been counted before beginning emergency coordination is not an acceptable response," Blackman wrote in his letter.

Hobbs said on social media that her administration was coordinating with Navajo County Emergency Management on shelter and support. She directed the state Department of Transportation, Department of Public Safety and Department of Emergency and Military Affairs to work with local agencies on the response.

A rare event for Arizona

Tornadoes are uncommon in Arizona. A National Weather Service meteorologist told KNAU on Wednesday that the warnings that morning were probably the most widespread since 2010, when several tornadoes hit the state in one day, including one that damaged homes in Bellemont.

Monsoon storms usually lack the ingredients for tornadoes, he said, but a Pacific storm system meeting subtropical moisture can produce the wind shear needed for supercells.

Forecasters expected the storm system to keep bringing heavy rain, hail and the chance of tornadoes to eastern Arizona into Thursday evening before a cold front moved through.

Sources

knau.org

knau.org

knau.org