Winds Pummel New Mexico
By ABC-7 Reporter Jill Galus
Las Cruces, New Mexico – Wild winds whipped across Southern New Mexico Tuesday.
An insurmountable amount of damage remains.
The roof of the 911 Call Center at White Sands Missile Range no longer on top of the building, but across the way.
Powerful winds swept the roof right off the 30-thousand square foot Police Department. The roof now torn to pieces.
Officials at White Sands say, the destruction hit around 6 A.M., just after a reported power outage.
Multiple crews stayed on scene all afternoon, clearing the building and assessing damage.
The roof recognizable as nothing more than a pile of debris.
Plenty of the roof collapsed inside the building too.
Officials say, two people suffered minor injuries.
Windows shattered, the wind destroyed much in its path.
Trees uprooted and windows blown out of cars.
Nothing but a mess, all whipped up from mother nature.
“Several vehicles were damaged all over the base, housing area, work buildings because of the winds, people might have lost up to all the windows on their vehicles,” Miriam Rodriguez, Public Affairs Official for White Sands, said. “We’ve had several incidences before anything from flooding to the winds but in my opinion since I’ve been here this has been the worst in the last ten years.”
Strength behind powerful wind gusts made it difficult to walk outside.
Even Santa’s sleigh fell victim to the windstorm.
In front of a Las Cruces house, at City View and Foothills Road, thousands of holiday lights and decorations tossed everywhere on the front lawn.
A Las Cruces resident says the day was one big whirlwind.
“Kinda scary, afraid it might get a little bad and turn over some houses,” Edward Tellez said. “I live in a mobile home and it (shook) it last night pretty badly too.”
Near San Augustine Pass, an RV overturned onto it’s side.
Some say, this is the worst wind damage they’ve ever seen in the Las Cruces area.
The storm may have passed, but the damage will be a reminder of a day completely blown over in days ahead.
