Tumbleweeds have taken over a Utah town, piling up in front of homes and leaving residents trapped under thorny branches.
Strong gusts of wind Saturday caused tumbleweeds to invade the northern part of the state and made cities like southern Jordan look like the set of an Old West movie.
In addition to intense winds and balls of dead foliage, some parts of the state also experienced snow, forcing residents to shovel fresh dust and tumbleweeds.
Dayne Moss, a resident of Daybreak, a neighborhood in southern Jordan, said fox 13 that when the tumbleweeds came, ‘it sounded like a tornado.’
‘The whole side of the house, almost up to the second floor, was full of tumbleweeds. And it was like you couldn’t even see across the road because the whole road was just blocked,” Moss said.
The tumbleweeds arrived in South Jordan, Utah, on Saturday. The dead balls of foliage piled on houses, vehicles and lawns.
Residents attempted to clear the tumbleweeds with shovels while they were seen collecting the twig-filled balls into large trash bins.
Other images showed the countless weeds as they moved along a busy road that became covered in a dusty haze.
An aerial shot of homes about 20 minutes from Salt Lake City showed tumbleweeds piled on residents’ lawns, while some blocked front doors.
Even with this unusual occurrence, people came out and helped each other clean up the mess the tumbleweeds brought.
“They stayed for a while and did some extra help and took out some trash cans and some other things,” said Phi Webb, another resident of the area.
—So we’ll spend a couple of days cleaning out all the tumbleweeds.
Another image showed a car nearly consumed by tumbleweeds, leaving only the top of the vehicle visible.
Residents attempted to clear the tumbleweeds with shovels while dumping the twig-filled balls into trash bins.
Weed rollerballs are known to invade states throughout the United States, except Alaska and Florida, according to the Museum of Natural History. They are most commonly found in parts of western and central North America, particularly in places with pastures and hay fields.
One car was nearly consumed by tumbleweeds, leaving only the top of the vehicle visible. The plants have been known to accumulate on top of fences, houses, vehicles and can even get tangled in power lines and reach other plants.
Tumbleweeds contain seeds that germinate in spring and bloom in fall and spring. Furthermore, they can only reproduce by seed. Pictured: Tumbleweeds scattered across a neighborhood in southern Jordan
Kali tragus, also known as Russian thistle, is an annual plant that has a rounded shape and separates from its roots and is a type of tumbleweed.
Russian thistle is invasive and known as a noxious weed that is poisonous to animals and should not be eaten, according to Lawn starter.
Small rodents and antelopes are known to chew on the branching weeds.
Tumbleweeds contain seeds that germinate in spring and bloom in fall and spring. Furthermore, they can only reproduce by seed.
Dead foliage first arrived in the country in the 1870s and created one of the largest ‘plant invasions’ in American history, Lawn Starter reported.
Although not known to be extremely dangerous, tumbleweeds can pose fire hazards, allergic reactions, pest problems, and damage nearby crops.
They have been known to accumulate on top of fences, houses, vehicles and can even get tangled in power lines and reach other plants.
In October 2022, a Colorado couple’s property was invaded by giant tumbleweeds, preventing them from opening their front door or exiting their driveway.
In October 2022, a Colorado couple’s property was invaded by giant tumbleweeds, preventing them from opening their front door or exiting their driveway.
Marlies Gross, a homeowner in Fountain, Colorado, described the situation at the time as “horrible” and “like a horror movie.”
“It’s very disturbing and creepy,” he said of the tumbleweeds that flooded his property.
When Gross and her husband woke up that morning, they found their front yard and driveway had been “submerged” with tumbleweeds due to 60 mph winds over the weekend.
The couple, who asked local police and the county for help, were told that public officials could not help with the situation because it occurred on private property.
After obtaining estimates from a landscaper, Gross said the total cost to remove the tumbleweed would be about $6,500.