Broadwater County Experiences High Wind Damage
Author: mt43news staff reporter
MT43 News Staff Reporter
The leaves blew off the banana trees here in Broadwater County’s Banana Belt Wednesday. During a state-wide extreme wind event where northern Montana towns saw winds of over 100 miles per hour, according to NOAA, the official said.
According to Meteorologist Amanda Wilson at the National Weather Station in Great Falls, Broadwater County’s highest wind gust was 85 miles per hour at the Ginger remote automated weather system (RAWS) immediately west of Townsend on River Road. At Spokane Creek Road, the wind clocked out at 75 miles per hour. Wind speed at the Toston Bridge showed 62mph.
One semitruck and trailer blew over at mile marker 68 on Highway 287, right at the end of the four- lane highway, around 1:00 p.m., according to Rural Fire Chief Ed Shindoll. The driver was not injured, but it took until the next day to right the vehicle.
A handicapped person was trapped in their camper on Tumbleweed Rd., off Antelope Road. The camper tipped over on its side, so the door was on the upside of the trailer, pinning the person in. Fire Department volunteers righted the camper and rescued the person. Shindoll said he did not know where the person was staying, since the camper, although stabilized, was not safe for occupancy.
Vigilante Electric was called out to repair five power poles that were blown down, Shindoll said, along with a tree and a power pole that fell across Highway 437. It took four hours to reinstall power to the area. One power pole also blew down on Sandhill Lane.
Heritage Park lost one tree. A tree on South Cherry and one on C Street between Pine and South Spruce also went down also, Shindoll explained.
Article Images
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PhotoCredit: Pat Plantenberg, urban forester
Image 1 Caption: One of the large Colorado blue spruce trees blew down, slightly damaging the pavilion during the December 17 windstorm.
Photo Credit: Pat Plantenberg, Urban Forester
