YARMOUTH, MASS. (WHDH) - An American flag outside of the Cape Sands Inn emerged unscathed despite being surrounded by widespread destruction that was caused by an EF-1 tornado on Tuesday afternoon.
“When the tornado struck, the entire roof of a Yarmouth motel was torn off and a solid steel flag pole was bent at the base,” the Yarmouth Police Department said in a Facebook post. “Our American flag kept flying strong.”
The tornado, which touched down in Yarmouth and Harwich, ripped the motel’s roof off with ease as 110-mph winds rocked the small Cape Cod towns.
The Cape Sands Inn is a family-operated business. The motel owner, Bobby Kahn, said its guests had been re-housed at other local hotels.
Kahn admitted he had just dropped $50,000 to replace the roof just nine months ago.
One hotel guest told 7NEWS that he watched in shock as the roof was lifted into the air.
“It was like something out of the ‘Wizard of Oz.’ Being from this city, I never saw anything like this,” the guest said. “First time I went through it and I hope I never have to go through it again.”
No injuries were reported.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)