Serving the High Plains

Storm disrupts holiday

This pop-up camper was overturned Sunday during a storm at Ute Lake State Park at Logan. No injuries were reported.

QCS Senior Writer

A strong thunderstorm damaged the roof of a motel, flipped over a pop-up camper and caused damage to property and trees Sunday in Logan.

The storm that developed earlier in Taos County made its way southeast along the border of San Miguel and Harding counties and entered the Logan area around 7 p.m., Sunday evening, said Randall Hergert, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Albuquerque.

Hergert said the storm had wind gusts of 70 to 80 mph and hail that ranged from marble to golf ball sized in some areas.

Hergert described the storm as fast-moving and said there was little to no rain accumulation. At a site near Logan there was a report of .14 inches of rainfall, but east of Solano in Harding County, there were reports of three to four inches of hail, Hergert added.

Hergert said there was a report of a pop up camper at Ute Lake State Park being flipped over by the wind.

Jennifer Perry, owner of the Yucca Motel, said she and her two children were in their home when winds tore the roof off their house and motel office.

Perry said it started hailing for two to three minutes and the winds continued to gain strength. She said the roof came off in sections over a 10-minute period. The first piece hit the motel and the second piece wrapped around a utility pole behind the motel, Perry added.

Perry said, "We lost the air conditioning unit and satellite and has been a lot of water damage as a result of the storm." She said despite the roof being ripped off and the loss of power, the motel never closed.

“It was a holiday weekend and all of our rooms were full,” Perry said “The guests were understanding, they were shaken up a bit but everybody was good.”

Perry said she was thankful for the help she received from her neighbors and said several people helped her put tarps up on the roof and helped with debris cleanup.

“It is a great feeling to have the community respond like that,” Perry said.

 
 
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