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The National Weather Service says high winds that damaged buildings, cars, trees and downed power lines Saturday in West Yellowstone, were not caused by a tornado. Instead, the Weather Service is calling the event a microburst.

KBZK-TV meteorologist Adam Bell was in West Yellowstone with representatives from the National Weather Service. They say there are numerous eyewitness reports of funnel clouds seen just before the damage occurred, but that there is no confirmation any of the funnels touched ground. In spite of the ruling by the Weather Service several residents insist in conversations with Bell that it was indeed a tornado. Weather Service researchers on the ground today say they estimate winds hit 85 miles an hour in the event which ripped part of the roof off the Best Western Hotel and caused other damage.

Today, as seen in the accompanying photo, workers are already beginning to repair the roof. At the same time, the roar of chain saws fills the air as residents and crews work to clear roads of downed trees. In spite of the damage, power is back in most of the town and it's business as usual with the same crowded streets you would normally see during a busy summer weekend.

About 40 people staying at the Best Western were displaced by the storm, but no injuries were reported and other hotels in town were able to take in all of the guests. A worker at the Best Western says that if this storm had hit just a week ago some people would have had to leave town because all hotels were full and there would have been no where for displaced guests to stay.

Local people report that debris was thrown as much as 100 feet across the town and Bell reports taking video of a tree branch thrust horizontally into the truck of another tree. Some cars were also damaged in the storm.

As of Sunday afternoon, Gallatin County Sheriff's deputies, the Gallatin County Emergency Government Department, National Weather Service officials and NorthWestern Energy crews were on the scene and cleanup was proceeding quickly.