A dust devil several meters high and a subsequent hailstorm took the residents of Cuyoaco, a municipality nestled in the Central Valleys region of Puebla, by surprise.
On the afternoon of Friday, May 8, the residents of the municipality and its surrounding areas, which has just over 20,000 inhabitants, were astonished by the series of weather events that occurred in less than 60 minutes.
Two videos posted on social media serve as proof of the magnitude of the first phenomenon: a whirlwind that reached the ground in a matter of minutes, similar to those often seen in the plains of the United States, although on a smaller scale.
The recordings showed the force with which the dust devil traveled for several kilometers across the region, even crossing Highway 129D (Amozoc-Virreyes) and the federal highway to Teziutlán, forcing motorists to stop to avoid dangerous situations.
“Get inside, ma’am, because a really nasty tornado is coming!” could be heard in one of the videos taken from an auto repair shop as other people ran outside to witness the natural spectacle.
Although the event left no one injured or missing, personnel from the General Coordination of Civil Protection and Comprehensive Risk Management in the Teziutlán area conducted patrols to provide assistance to the population.
Just minutes after the tornado, what had seemed like a downpour turned into a storm with hail, some of which reached several inches in size. Some hailstones were the size of ping-pong balls.
The state and municipal governments of Cuyoaco activated emergency protocols, as some homes suffered damage to their roofs, and some vegetable crops were also affected.
It should be noted that whirlwinds are common in this area of Puebla during the first half of the year, as these are flat areas where the air runs at high speed, in addition to the constant rains due to its proximity to the Northern and Northeastern mountain ranges of Puebla, as well as its proximity to the Citlaltépetl volcano.
Source: milenio
