"The house started shaking... I screamed - we could be dead": Family's terror as Greater Manchester's 160mph 'tornado' destroyed their home
29.12.2023 - 08:43
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
A family told of their terror after a freak 'tornado' destroyed their home. Gareth and Lyndsey Moody and three of their children were at home shortly before midnight when the extreme weather hit Stalybridge in Tameside.
Their property and their next door neighbours' home were the most badly damaged properties during the shocking storm on Wednesday night, with the winds ripping their roofs off. It is thought to have been the strongest tornado to hit the country for nearly 20 years, with wind speeds said to have reached up to 160mph.
The homes on Hough Hill Road in the town were two of 100 buildings to be affected, with cars and other property also damaged by falling trees and roof tiles. Gareth and Lyndsey, both 45, were in bed when the twister hit, the Mirror reports. Mum-of-four Lyndsey, an A&E nurse, said: “We were lucky to get out alive. We could be dead.
READ MORE: 'I went out into the street to get the debris from the tornado - then saw my neighbour had half his house torn off'
READ MORE: Horror of residents caught up in Greater Manchester 'tornado' as major incident is declared
"The house started shaking. I went to the window, it was like it was sucking in and out. The whole ceiling came down. I screamed, the hallway gave way. The chimney came down and took out the rest of the house.”
Gareth, a council licencing officer, said: “I went downstairs and heard a loud crash. The lights went out and there was another loud crash. It was mayhem. I ran back upstairs and saw a huge hole in the landing.” Two of the couple’s sons, Jack, 22, and Thomas, 15, were in their bedrooms when the roof and chimney collapsed.
It smashed into Jack’s bedroom and destroyed the bathroom, flooding the kitchen. Gareth said: “How they are