Storm Gerrit: Roofs ripped off homes in tornado and thousands still without power in devastation
A "localised tornado" tore roofs off houses and destroyed walls as Storm Gerrit caused devastation.
The Met Office said a supercell thunderstorm crossed Greater Manchester on Wednesday night and that it had a "strong rotating updraft", which suggests "a tornado at the surface was likely".
Around 100 properties were damaged in Stalybridge, Tameside, and residents in the badly hit village of Carrbrook told of the states of "absolute disaster" houses were in.
Stalybridge resident Kerry Hogan told the BBC it was "bedlam" with trees toppling "like dominoes" while another woman said a tree fell into her bathroom.Ms Hogan told BBC Radio 5 Live the tornado "lasted a minute, 90 seconds, literally a whirlwind of madness" and it "sounded horrendous".
"We couldn't open the front door as the wind was that bad," she added.
"Lamp-posts were swaying, we watched trees topple
