Man injured, two dozen structures damaged by possible tornado in Arizona

HEBER-OVERGAARD, Ariz. (NBC, KYMA) - A man was injured and about two dozen structures damaged when a by a possible tornado in Heber-Overgaard, Arizona Wednesday evening.

Holding back tears for a community left shaken by a suspected tornado, Suzanne Masterson's Heber-Overgaard house was pierced by tree limbs and smashed by a toppled shed.

"I'm trying to hold it back...it happened so fast, and it wrecked so much. This doesn't happen in Arizona. Not here," Masterson expressed. "You heard a lot of cracking, like a lot of thunder."

The severe weather forced its way through her neighborhood Wednesday night, catching her off guard.

When asked if she got the alerts on her phone, Masterson said, "Not until after. It wasn't quick enough."

Her neighbors sought shelter in closets and bathrooms, with many living through the experience for the first time.

"This being our community, a lot of us live here or around here. This is such a new thing," said Chief Jason Payne with the Heber-Overgaard Fire Department.

Chief Payne said dozens of buildings, mostly homes, are now damaged. Power line, which were knocked down, is nearly restored and a bike rider, caught up in the suspected tornado, is expected to be okay.

"Once you see all the damage that's out there, and how lucky we are, that there are no fatalities or no serious injuries," Payne shared.

But even with all of the destruction to her own front yard, Masterson's worries more for her neighbors.

"Are they going to be displaced? Are they going to have a place to sleep tonight?" Masterson wondered. "I'm trying to hold it back, because as you build your life around, I'm concerned for those that like him."

She said her community will come together to help each other repair what no storm can break.

"You never think is going to happen to you until it happens," Masterson remarked.

Representatives from the National Weather Service will survey the damage and determine if this truly was a tornado.