Haboob Causes Tree Damage in East Valley

The eastern Coachella Valley saw first sights of the haboob that struck Thursday afternoon, and the effects of the storm were felt hard, especially at one residence in Indio. Aftermath saw workers cutting down loose tree limbs on Washington street, just south of Avenue 50. Katie McAaskill, a resident of La Quinta, reflected on her experience when the storm hit. “Well I was inside and the windows were dim, so we thought it started raining. And we went to the window, opened them, and we couldn’t see anything.”

The haboob hit with force and had strong enough winds to uproot several trees, including one at the La Quinta Embassy Suites. The most severe damage occurred in Indio in the Las Palmas community on the corner of Jefferson street and 48th Avenue. A tree in a vacant lot collapsed on a resident’s home in the lot next door. The residents of the home were inside when the tree struck the property. The situation could’ve turned deadly had they been sitting on the patio. “Yeah, we checked if anybody was at the house and it appeared as if nobody was home,” said neighbor Sergio Nunez. “But I guess there was, but they was all right. I was watching TV and out of nowhere I heard a really loud pop and crack and I came outside to check and it was this big old tree outside just on the floor.”

Residents in the home did not want to speak on camera, but confirmed they were all right. No word yet on the cost of the property damage.