By JADE RUSSELL 

Tribune Staff Reporter 

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

A STRONG wind or waterspout resembling a tornado reportedly struck the Treasure Cove area yesterday, leaving a couple’s home severely damaged.

Aaron Bahm, a ten-year resident of Treasure Cove, told The Tribune he was watching the Weather Channel when intense gusts suddenly swept through his backyard. He said the whirlwind sent pool floats flying across the yard and tore down branches from their mahogany palm trees. The powerful winds also destroyed the back fence, snapping the posts.

The vortex struck around 3.45pm during a thunderstorm. Mr Bahm estimated the wind speeds at 50 to 60mph, saying it lasted about five seconds over his house before moving towards Palm Cay. He said most of the damage occurred at the southern tip of Treasure Cove, where some homes suffered light roof damage and tree destruction. He also said kayaks were blown 200 yards down the street.

At the time of the event, Mr Bahm’s eight-year-old daughter was home. While Mr Bahm said he wasn’t frightened, the experience left his daughter feeling nervous.

His wife, Jennifer Treco, said she was at her son’s piano lesson when the storm hit. She said their daughter is now scared a similar incident might happen again, especially since their home is near the beach. Mrs Treco said it took the family two hours to clean up the debris in their backyard.

When contacted, St Anne’s MP Adrian White confirmed the incident. He said he was only aware of Mr Bahm and Mrs Treco being impacted, noting that sometimes these types of storms hit one area before dissipating. He had no reports of other residents being affected or injuries.