Hail of a Storm!!!

[Nemont]

My little town got beat up pretty good by a bad thunderstorm on Saturday evening, 6/16/07. Wind, 2.5 inches of rain and golf ball to tennis ball size hail. We lost windows, our camper is ruined, water flooded the basement and we were some of the lucky ones.

Here are a few pics.

The street in front of my house

Flooding on highway 2

Hail drifts

Hail stones

For scale purposes only

Wheat fields across region hit hard

By KIM SKORNOGOSKI
Tribune Staff Writer

A farmer southeast of Glasgow, Lynn Sather can only guess at how much rain fell during Saturday's thunderstorm — hail and pummeling wind smashed his rain gauge to bits.

His spring wheat fared no better.

"It looks like a lawn mower went over it," he said Monday. "There's nothing left. It's just flattened."

With record amounts of rainfall in some areas this spring, farmers were optimistic about this year's crops. The hail storm hit at a bad time, crushing the heads of the winter wheat and breaking the budding spring wheat.
"Once the sun comes out and the plants have a chance to respond, then we'll see what the damages are," Valley County extension agent Verlin Koenig said.

"Some of the fields you can't even walk in," he added. "With two and a half inches of rain, they're just muck."

The thunderstorm started along the Rocky Mountain Front and swept east to the North Dakota border, hitting northern and central Montana with wind, rain and hail.

Many reported damaged crops, dented cars, broken tree limbs and riverbanks filled to the rim. But Valley County got the brunt of the storm.

North of Hingham and Gildford, wind gusts reached 60 mph and pea-sized hail damaged many winter wheat crops.

Blaine County extension agent Mike Schuldt said a six-mile swath between Harlem and Turner was wiped out by the storm. One farmer reported nickel to quarter-sized hail was an inch deep, destroying his crop of winter wheat.

North of Chinook, an unconfirmed tornado ripped apart a large farm shop.

Judith Basin County issued a tornado warning. Funnel clouds were reported across the Hi-Line

On Sunday morning, hail drifts were still as high as two feet south of Grass Range in Fergus County.

Cascade County extension agent Wade Crouch said rural parts of the county escaped much of the storm damage that hit trees, gardens and homes primarily on the north side of Great Falls.

Montana Disaster and Emergency Services sent a field representative to Valley County Monday and is working with Musselshell County to assess damages and see if the communities are eligible for any state or federal assistance.

Farmers that suffered crop damage are encouraged to call their local farm service agency office.

In Valley County, winds peaked at 89 mph and hail was nearly the size of baseballs.

While most hail storms last a few minutes, this storm lasted 20 minutes and was accompanied by more than an inch of rain, National Weather Service meteorological technician Jim Branda said. Another inch and a half of rain fell throughout the night, causing flooding.

Dick Cotton, who farms five miles northwest of Glasgow, said of his 2,000 acres, he hopes 100 acres might produce something.

"If it didn't get hailed out, it's gone due to flood damage," he said.

Stubble kept for conservation was beaten into the ground.

Cotton was kept hopping Monday with his side business: cutting glass to replace the hundreds of broken windows.

Wind shattered west side windows on the county courthouse, sheriff's office, post office and many homes.

"We're going to have to bring a semi-load of glass up here to replace all the windows," he said.

Nashua was hit particularly hard, Valley County Sheriff Glen Meier said. The school windows were all broken and people are pumping water out of basements.

The underpass beneath the railroad tracks in Glasgow had to be pumped to allow traffic to go through. Felled tree branches blocked roads and had to be sawed off, and several creeks overflowed into neighboring roads.

Meier said the Milk River is about four feet shy of flooding.

The storm also wiped out much of the pheasant population.

The night of the storm, the lumberyard opened at midnight so people could buy plywood to cover their windows and block out the rain. People with trailers hauled broken branches and other debris for their neighbors.

"By Sunday morning, things were pretty much under control," Meier said. "Everybody just helps everybody."

Nemont

 

[Bambistew]

Wow... Looks like a ripper. We had a hell of a storm here last week. No hail, but a torent for about 45 min. There was about 2' of water running down the stree in front of my office.

 

[Washington Hunter]

They still make Rainier?

 

[noharleyyet]

Nemont, we had 94 mph winds last night about 2 a.m. w/ 2" rain...lots of damage. Hellacious flood night before last 100 miles east of here. Weird weather patterns this spring & summer.

 

[MarvB]

Damn Jeff! Sorry to hear about that...I'd probably be reaching for something a bit stouter than that Washington import.

I see it mentioned the pheasant pop...how does any of the upland birds live through a 20min pounding like that I't be like one of us ('cept Tom ) standing out in bowling ball sized hail....

 

[Nemont]

I didn't take the Rainier Pic just to set things straight. I was drinking some good ole Pendleton's and water "let'er buck"

The worst part with the pheasants is that what didn't get killed by the hail their nests got flooded out by the rain and flooding. Insurance adjusters were at the house this morning. Need a new roof and probably new siding.

Nemont

 

[cjcj]

Wow....Still looks nice and cool up your way, but that hail is not good....I would love some of that cool rain though....and its green up there... you must love the summers.

 

[DRAFTSTUD]

Dang, That's rough Nemont! Wish I was up your way to help, even if it was to pick up empties!!! I noticed it almost got the Liquior Store, that was close. the sun shinning on the new roof and siding will make it better. Good Luck, John

 

[1_pointer]

WOWZER! That's a heck of a note. Sorry to hear about that and glad you were one of the 'lucky' ones.

 

[ELKCHSR]

I just talked with schelmster (Scott) the other day and he was telling me of this one...

His buddy got bapped in the back of the head and bout put him on his knees...

Beat the crap out of all the vehicles and such....

Not some thing you would have wanted to get caught out in the middle of a park and no protection for sure...

 

[JASON LEE]

good luck to you, your insurance company should come to you with a big check for the damage to your house...fix it your self and buy a new gun or 10

 

[mattobertin]

Man it rained so hard here in Arizona...... O h wait that was last year!

 

[elkay]

Yup!! No rain in P.V. eather!! Maby on the 4th (Please.. The elk need it!!) elkay

 

[schelmster]

Just got the settlement from my hail storm six weeks ago. For the siding, windows and new metal roof the bill was $48,100. Now I have to wait for the roofers and siding people to get to me. Sure hope when this is all said and done that I don't get "dropped".


schelmster