LEHI — A storm hit Utah County over the weekend, bringing wind speeds of more than 50 mph. One Lehi family is still cleaning up the mess.
The wind dragged a pergola from a neighbor's yard and slammed it into the side of their house. They say they were incredibly lucky nobody was injured.
The Edis family was hosting a family party when the wind picked up. They had been outside just moments before a massive metal awning flew through their fence and smashed through an upstairs window.
"Honestly, I thought, like, part of the roof of my house had come off," Michael Edis recalled.
Security footage captured the moment the 12-by-12-foot metal pergola sailed right into the Edis home.
Moments before, 12 young children were running around in the yard and getting ready to paint pumpkins for Halloween. Then the wind started.
"We ushered the kids to kind of go into the loft. Fortunately, no one did," Edis said.
A leg of the pergola sank right into the loft play area, leaving shattered glass all over the room and toys. The top slammed into the side of the house, tearing loose a chunk of siding and cracking into a hall closet.
"If kids had been there, I'm confident that they would have been maimed or possibly killed. So we are incredibly fortunate, and I'm just grateful no one got hurt," Edis said.
If kids had been there, I'm confident that they would have been maimed or possibly killed. So we are incredibly fortunate.
–Michael Edis
He said windstorms are relatively common in this area, though this one came on much faster than any he can remember. He's begun the long process of working with his homeowners' insurance to repair the damage.
"Secure your stuff, secure your equipment. You can fix and repair a house. We can't do that for a human being," Edis said.
Photos
Most recent Utah stories
Related topics
Sarah Martin
