Watch: Santa Fe rocked by first tornado in 50 years as rare twister leaves behind widespread damage

THE TAKEAWAY

SANTA FE, New Mexico - A rare EF-1 tornado tore through Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Saturday, marking the first tornado recorded in the city in more than 50 years.

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The tornado developed at 7 p.m. in the Via Caballo neighborhood, south of Santa Fe, with peak winds of 110 mph, according to the National Weather Service’s (NWS) damage survey.

The storm then traveled north for approximately 1.5 miles, leaving a path of destruction before eventually dissipating near the College of Santa Fe.

"Saturday night and Sunday morning, parts of our city looked like a disaster zone," Santa Fe Mayor Michael Garcia said in a press release. "The tornado that moved through our community left a path of destruction."

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Much of the damage occurred along Ranch Springs and Camino Chuco roads, where power poles were broken, trees were uprooted or damaged, and fences were torn down.

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Drone video posted by the Santa Fe Police Department shows significant damage to the roofs of numerous homes in the area.

The NWS said at least 10 homes sustained damage during the severe weather event, with one home losing most of its roof and suffering a collapsed wall.

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Officials said cleanup operations are underway and residents are being asked to avoid the affected neighborhoods while debris is being removed.

"We know that some families have significant damage to their homes, and our work is not finished," Mayor Garcia said. "We will continue to support those affected and address the remaining cleanup and recovery needs."

The tornado came as severe storms slammed parts of New Mexico over the weekend, bringing the threat of damaging winds, large hail and isolated thunderstorms.

A Level 1 out of 5 severe storm threat was in place in parts of the region.