A MINI TORNADO damaged up to twenty properties in Scotchwell View and Coronation Avenue in Haverfordwest on Tuesday night (Jan 13).
Emergency services responded in the early evening to reports of damage to rooves. A garden shed had been ripped from its foundations, and landed in the middle of the street, neighbours said.
Local resident, Gwyl Booth, spoke to the Herald by telephone. He said: “There are about twenty fire fighters here, and there is an ambulance on standby. I don’t think that anyone has been hurt, but there has been a lot of damage to sheds, and roofs and that kind of thing. My son has been taking photos which we are going to try to download and send into the paper in a little while.”
He added: “The roads were blocked off for quite a while. I didn’t know the fire brigade had so many vehicles!”
Mr Booth said: “There were two ambulances on standby, and other emergency vehicles. Fire men had to go up in their cherry picker lifts in the hail and rain to secure people’s rooves. One crew told me that it was a mini-tornado. My boy struggled to shut the front door with the wind but it was all over in minutes.”
Resident Emma Griffiths said: “My Mum and Dad’s house and also my sister’s house were hit by this mini-tornado, it was horrible. The roof of the shed at my Mum’s was completely ripped off and a lot of damage was caused to the roof [of the house].”
She added: “I would just like to say a massive thank you to all the fire crews that attended, they were fantastic and very reassuring. Also thank to the paramedic crew who saw to my dad and brought him to Withybush to get checked over as he had suffered severe shock. I’m just very thankful that nobody was hurt last night.”
The fire and rescue service tweeted: “Thank you so much Haverfordwest McDonalds for their kind generosity, providing us with free hot drinks. Much appreciated.”
Pembrokeshire is not the only region where there has also been a mini-tornado today. A suspected tornado damaged cars and homes when it struck London in “a scene from the Wizard of Oz”.
Firefighters said a garage collapsed and roof tiles were blown off houses as Britain was braced for another storm gathering pace across the Atlantic. The “severe” weather struck in Harrow, north west London, on Tuesday afternoon. Crews were called at just before 1.15pm when the garage, which was attached to a house, collapsed. London Fire Brigade said cars in nearby roads also suffered minor damage, but no one was hurt.
The video below of Scotchwell View was sent to The Herald by Baines Dazer.
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