Possible landspout tornado rips through Los Lunas, damaging homes and cars
By Aliyah Chavez
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LOS LUNAS, N.M. (KOAT) — A possible landspout tornado swept through Los Lunas on Thursday afternoon, leaving behind damaged homes, shattered cars, and debris scattered across the village.
Dashcam footage captured it near Interstate 25 around 3:30 p.m., showing its size and sparks erupting as it hit power lines twice.
“Well, everything was going smooth, and all of a sudden, the lights went out. And then we heard, like, a very loud noise,” Maria Gutierrez said, who works nearby.
Gutierrez said pieces of sheet metal flew from an unknown direction and landed on top of a truck in the Del Taco drive-thru. The people inside were trapped and needed to be freed by the Los Lunas firefighters. They were unharmed inside.
Crews were seen across the village cleaning up broken tree limbs, cottonwood branches, and debris scattered in every direction on Thursday evening.
At Los Lunas High School, batting cage nets were twisted high into light poles, showcasing the strength of the winds.
One car was left wrapped in plastic after its windows were blown out, with shattered glass strewn throughout the interior.
“If you guys do see a big storm like this, take shelter. Be safe. Stay in your cars. Run into a building,” one resident said.
Officials with the village of Los Lunas said they have not received any further reports of injuries.
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