Cow Creek suffers damage from wind gust

RITZVILLE – John Freeman said he was standing in the kitchen of Cow Creek Mercantile and Cafe when he heard what sounded like a semi truck slamming into the building.

"We were standing here, and it sounded like a truck with compression brakes going off. The whole area shook, and we were like, "What was that?'" Freeman said Tuesday afternoon, May 18.

Outside the building, and directly behind the building, was a utility trailer that had been turned nearly 180 degrees in a gust of wind.

"It was facing here straight on, then the wind hit it and pulled it around and left it right there," Freeman said as he pointed out the utility trailer's new position. "We were standing on the other side of the wall when it happened, and it sounded like a semi was going right up against our building. I'm sure the noise we heard was the trailer being moved. We were like, what was that, and then to come out and see it like that."

They didn't realize the full extent of the damage until Ritzville Police Chief Dave McCormick stopped by the restaurant.

"He came in and said, 'Did someone hit your fence? You've got structural damage,'" Freeman said. At the front of the building, the front porch posts had been knocked out of their concrete settings, with sections of the fence either pulled apart or left lopsided.

"I'm glad this is solid," Freeman said of the structure. "It's like a gust came with a tunnel effect. All our chairs were out towards the edge of the field, and we had to go and get all of those and all of our garbage cans. But it was just 'Boom!' and gone. It lasted less than five seconds."

Freeman, who purchased the business with his partner Arne Braaten from Scott and Theresa Fitch the first of the year, said he his insurance included weather events.

"I was talking to the insurance guy, and he said he had heard of events where it was just a quick touch down, and gone," Freeman said. "I'd heard of them, I just never thought I'd be in one. I'd heard of them touching down in Othello, but not here. All I kept thinking was, 'we just bought the place.'"

Freeman said it happened between 11 a.m. and 11:30, and none of the neighboring businesses said they got hit. Cow Creek Mercantile and Cafe is located at 1611 Smittys Boulevard.

The National Centers for Environmental Information (NOAA), did not have any tornadoes, dust devils, dust storms, funnel clouds, high winds or strong winds reported in Adams County between May 1-19.

Two tornadoes occurring in Adams County and recorded by the Tornado Project Online were one on May 12, 1980; and another April 23, 1983.

According to AccuWeather, tornadoes can come in all shapes and sizes, and some may last for only a few brief minutes.