Winds wipe out area home

High winds whipped through Roosevelt County on Tuesday, destroying a mobile home west of Portales and tossing shingles, signs and patio furniture.

The wind blew off the roof of a mobile home about two miles west of Portales on U.S. 70 belonging to Victor and Mary Sanchez. The walls of the weakened home also caved in.

Lucia Sanchez said her parents had recently moved the mobile home onto the property. No one was in the home when the damage occurred midday Tuesday.

She said her father had been dealing with health problems and the couple had been staying with their daughter prior to moving into the mobile home.

The National Weather Service’s Web site reported winds of 47 mph were recorded at 3 p.m. at Cannon Air Force Base.

Roosevelt County Emergency Preparedness director Keith Wattenbarger said he had visited the scene but had not talked with the family as of late Tuesday night.

Wattenbarger said the mobile home was a complete loss. He said power had to be shut off to the home because of the damage.

Meanwhile, Portales police took a report on county-owned vehicles parked at the law enforcement center that were damaged when a sprinkler blew across North Boston Avenue into the parking lot.

Portales police also reported a group of trees along North Boston Avenue were blown over and limbs were reported down on North Abilene.