LAST UPDATE | 28 Dec 2023
A “LOCALISED TORNADO” caused significant damage to properties in Greater Manchester as Storm Gerrit swept the UK, with one village resident describing houses in states of “absolute disaster”.
Strong gusts whipped through Stalybridge, in Tameside, on Wednesday, damaging around 100 properties, according to the council.
“Numerous reports” were made to Greater Manchester Police (GMP) at around 11.45pm last night, and the force declared a major incident due to the “severity” of the damage caused and the potential risk to public safety.
A couple of houses around Hough Hill Road in #Stalybridge have been ripped apart by a localised #tornado.
— Hits Radio News | Manchester (@hitsmcrnews) December 28, 2023
Thankfully, nobody has been injured. pic.twitter.com/VIxutlua5E
No injuries were reported but many residents were forced to leave their homes.
According to BBC News, roofs were torn off houses, trees were blown down and walls collapsed in the Millbrook and Carrbrook areas of Stalybridge.
Hayley McCaffer, who lives with her partner in the village of Carrbrook, told the PA news agency that they have been “fairly lucky” compared with some of their neighbours.
McCaffer said: “Some of the neighbours’ houses are an absolute disaster – the roof missing, gable ends gone, cars squished with all the stone that’s come off the houses.
“Luckily for us, very luckily, we were in the pub last night when it happened. We weren’t here, but also we had parked our car there and looking at the state of our driveway – one of the walls has come down – we were very lucky that it wasn’t parked there because it would have not been in a good state today.”
She said she was alerted to the “tornado” by a phone call from her mother, who lives locally and whose roof was partially ripped off by winds before parts landed on her car.
Emergency services were cordoning off the area when McCaffer and her partner arrived back at their home, and they allowed them to enter and collect some essentials.
“It was dark so we could see big piles of debris and people’s bits of houses missing,” she said.
She and her partner were “evacuated” and remain unsure when they will be able to get back into their home.
“But we were safe and that was the main thing,” she added. “We’ve got insurance, hopefully that will be covered, and, you know, when things like this happen, there’s lots of people who are worse off than us, so we can’t really complain too much.”
Patricia Watkinson, who also lives in Carrbrook, was away in Norfolk when gusts swept through the village but was told by a neighbour that apart from a “dangling” aerial her home appears undamaged.
The 83-year-old told the PA news agency: “I’m glad I wasn’t there.
“My neighbour, she just rang me, and her shed is gone and the fence is gone. Hopefully, all that is wrong with mine is the aerial dangling.”
Chief Superintendent Mark Dexter from GMP said: “This incident has undoubtedly affected numerous people in the Stalybridge area with many residents displaced from their properties during the night.
“Our highest priority is keeping people safe which is why we are advising those who have been displaced not to return or enter their properties which have significant damage until they have been assessed by structural engineers.
“I would also like to urge members of the public to avoid the area where possible and take extra care when travelling in vehicles on the roads in Stalybridge and the surrounding areas, due to debris in the road.”
Authorities in Greater Manchester were also called yesterday to weather incidents amid reports of a possible tornado which damaged properties in Dukinfield and Mossley.
Tameside Council opened a reception area at Dukinfield Town Hall to cater for any displaced residents.
The Tornado and Storm Research Organisation said a detailed site investigation would need to be undertaken before it can confirm the damage was caused by a rare British tornado.
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