SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. The Russo & Steele classic car auction was interrupted Thursday night by strong winds accompanying a wild storm that damaged cars and ripped away huge sections of the events tents and deposited them in the traffic lanes of the adjacent 101 freeway.
The freeway was temporarily closed. The auction was shut down and the area remained cordoned off by the local fire department into Friday.
There were no major injuries, company statement said, although Phoenix-area news media outlets reported that some people at the auction suffered minor injuries. There was also damage to many of the classic automobiles consigned to the auction, and a KTAR radio station reporter at the scene said it appeared some incurred severe damage.
The auction company said damage assessments could not begin until the fire department reopened the area.
Other auctions also going on during the week in the Scottsdale area reported minor flooding and debris cleanup, but no serious damage.
A state of emergency for all of Arizona was declared Thursday night during the storm, which produced heavy rains, flash floods and reports of several tornadoes exceedingly rare in the state. A tornado warning had been issued for the Scottsdale area about the time the Russo & Steele tent blew away.
Imagine the bill! 
