Horse barn damaged in storm gets cleanup help from customers

BUFFALO, Minn. (FOX 9) - A horse farm in Buffalo, Minnesota is cleaning up after severe weather caused damage and injured horses last week.

Enchanted Hollow Stable was hit by winds in excess of 70 miles per hour on Oct. 29, causing damage to multiple barns, horse trailers and trucks. Nine horses were also injured.

"The storm sirens didn’t go off," said Mary Sansevere, owner of the 75-acre property. "It could have been so much worse."

Sansevere was on her way home from a barrel jumping competition when the storm hit. She said she was driving when the rain and wind got so intense she thought she was in the middle of a tornado.

When Sansevere arrived at the farm, there were downed trees blocking the driveway and the wall of one of the barns was missing. She said a 20-foot tall metal door flew off the hinges and was found next door.

The National Weather Service determined an EF-0 tornado touched down near Rockford Township Hall about a mile down the road, a small tornado that impacted an area 25 yards wide.

"Whatever it was, it tore apart a building that has stood for decades with no damage," said Sansevere’s husband.

Sansevere and her husband are still cleaning up, but they say they couldn’t do it without the clients who rushed to the farm that night to help.

"We were out here in complete darkness trying to account for horses," said Sansevere. "We were calling out to each other ‘okay we found this horse he’s fine.’"

Now, the family just hopes insurance will cover most of the repairs as they count their blessings that it wasn’t much worse.