VERRADO, AZ — A community in Verrado is banding together to clean-up their neighborhoods following a destructive storm that rolled through Wednesday.
As ABC15 crews were driving around the area, they saw several massive trees that were uprooted and leaning against nearby homes.
Many residents are still in shock as they look around and see the aftermath of the storm. Brandon Brown is one of them.
“It was fast and furious. It’s probably the easiest way to describe it,” he said while describing what he witnessed Wednesday.
Brown says the storm came out of nowhere.
“The rain was just coming almost sideways and you were seeing trees just bend,” he told ABC15.
It’s a sight he says he’s never seen in Verrado since he moved there, roughly 10 years ago.
“We had one big branch fall and the neighbors came and cut it up,” Brown added.
Now, as he takes a walk on the park path outside his home, he can’t help but feel like irreparable damage was done.
“That’s all obstructed by branches to absolute trees rooted out,” he said.
Flooded streets, damaged roofs, shattered windows and uprooted trees were everywhere at one point.
“It’s pretty sad to see some of these [trees] that have been around for 10, 15 years, now on the ground.”
Dawn Rose who lives down the street from Brandon says the storm also hit close to home.
“Just be careful. Stuff is everywhere,” she said as we walked around the toppled tree on her property. “We’re thankful it didn’t go through the windows."
She added this is the first time she’s seen a storm with this kind of force.
“We’re used to monsoons here, which I love, but… I’ve never seen this kind of damage before. We had our pool furniture blown into the pool. I mean it looked like a movie set,” said Rose.
Though she says among the destruction she saw something beautiful.
“A little boy came and brought one of our shutters that blew off, brought it back up on the porch for us. Joanne, our sweetest neighbor, she went and picked up all of our lawn cushions, they’d blown into the park,” Rose told ABC15.
“Most of the residents instead of hunkering down after the storm, you saw them jump in golf carts, get in cars and it wasn’t just to go see the damage…but it was to go see if there were any neighbors in need,” Brown added.
As you take a look around, it is clear there’s still more clean-up to be done. Though the community here sees a silver lining amid the damage left behind.
“I am just so grateful for the people that live around here,” said Rose.
“I honestly think stuff like this brings the community closer,” Brown told ABC15.
People who live in the most damaged areas in Verrado say they expect the debris to be fully cleaned up within the coming days.
