Image of the damage done by a potential tornado in Cannonville, Utah on Sunday, August 21, 2022. (Garfield County Sheriff's Office)
PANGUITCH, Utah — A strong storm that passed across Garfield County on Sunday ripped the roof from one home and made roadways unpassable for a time.
The event was initially thought to be a tornado. But the National Weather Service has confirmed that the storm was actually a ‘wet microburst.’
The storm moved into Cannonville at about 3:45 on Sunday afternoon. By the time the storm was over, the roof of a single wide trailer home had been ripped off and thrown across the highway into another yard.
Garfield County Sheriff Danny Perkins told KSL NewsRadio that no injuries were reported. Additionally, officials said the homeowner was able to return to the home.
Sheriff Perkins said the Garfield County road crew jumped into action and was able to quickly scrape SR-12, allowing the residents of Henrieville access to the road and nearby towns.
On Monday the National Weather Service confirmed exactly what happened.
“After discussion with local officials and analysis of photos and radar, we’ve determined that the thunderstorm wind damage observed in Cannonville, UT on Sunday afternoon was the result of a ‘wet microburst,’ the NWS said in a statement.
“A wet microburst is a burst of strong thunderstorm winds accompanied by heavy rainfall,” NWS said. “We believe wind speeds were estimated in the 50-60 mph range around 3:25PM MDT, or around the time of occurrence.”
Since the 1950s, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports that 137 tornadoes have touched down in Utah, causing more than $177 million in damages.