Updated

With its immaculately manicured front lawns and the perfectly presented porches of the suburban homes, it looks like a film set from a feel-good Hollywood flick. But what happens next in this sleepy New York State suburb is shocking: a tornado sweeps through and lifts the large family car clean off the ground, throwing it around like a toy.

The scene was caught on CCTV during ferocious 100mph winds, which rocked western New York yesterday.

One moment the heavy sporty utility vehicle (SUV) is parked neatly on the driveway, the next it is lifted high in the air, spun through nearly 90 degrees, and deposited on the front lawn.

At the same time, a trailer and wheelie bin are thrown about for good measure, with the trailer only coming to a rest after it strikes the nose of the SUV. Debris is strewn across the gardens, as people wisely remain indoors.

The local weather service had issued advance warnings to residents of western New York state of dangerously high winds, which struck on July 20.

One tornado was believed to have hit Hamburg, New York and another affected Holland, 20 miles away. Winds reached up to 105mph, as one 700-yard-wide tornado tore through Hamburg, travelling five miles and leaving a trail of destruction.