HUTTO, Texas — A possible "gustnado" may be to blame after strong winds tore a roof off a barn in Hutto and dropped it nearly 400 feet away, according to the National Weather Service.
A gustnado is a "strong whirlwind at the leading edge of a storm front or squall line."
William Lorfing told KVUE he was sitting in his office on his ranch off of Highway 130 just after 4 p.m. Wednesday when he spotted dark clouds outside. Suddenly, the wind picked up, and he noticed what appeared to be a funnel cloud in the distance.
Then, from the corner of his eye, Lorfing said he saw the wind blow the roof of his horse barn away. His wind gauge picked up a 64 mph speed.
In the 13 years he's owned the property, it's the first time he's ever experienced something like this.
"It's probably not uncommon, but just not here," Lorfing said. "This was, at least, a good thing. Nothing on the house looks like it was messed up. None of the roof or anything. Just [the barn roof], and that's easy to replace."
The wind also damaged some trees limbs and a few fence posts. It also picked up a neighbor's trampoline and dropped it off on Lorfing's property.
Lorfing estimates the barn roof will cost about $500 to replace. Until it's replaced, his horses will have the opportunity to seek some shelter in the goat barn nearby. None of his farm animals were hurt.
The National Weather Service is working to determine what caused the damage.