KERROBERT — The rain was welcome but the rest of the conditions that accompanied a number of storms that blew through west central Saskatchewan was not.
July 30, 31 and into the morning hours of Aug. 1 late afternoon and evening, brought about consistent thunderstorms providing a variety of weather experiences, starting with a thunderstorm July 30, and seemingly intensifying each day and evening as the long weekend continued.
Evesham residents reported significant hail July 31.
The evening of July 31 people experienced several tornado warnings although no reports of a tornado touching down has been made.
Aug. 1 late evening and into early morning of Aug. 2, residents in Wilkie, Unity, Luseland and Kerrobert experienced long bouts of intense lightening and thunder. Unity residents were without power for several hours the early morning hours of Aug.2.
As of 9:30 a.m., Aug. 2, Kerrobert residents were still without power, and SaskPower had reported on their Twitter feed that crews were working to repair damage caused by multiple poles and lines down and were unable to provide a restoration time.
The community of Kerrobert put out several notices on their social media pages about tree damage and their efforts to clean up as quickly as possible. The pool would remain closed until storm clean up could be completed and a number of businesses were closed until power could be restored.
Mayor Wayne Mock said, “There are several uprooted trees including a 40-foot pine tree. There are large broken branches and small branches scattered all over town. At least two holiday trailers were tipped over at the Wild Goose campground and Rev Energy had one of their buildings on railway avenue lose a roof. There are multiple powerlines down south of Kerrobert on Highway 21 towards Kindersley. The poles were snapped clean in half,” adds Mock.
Mock says SaskPower continues to work to restore power while town staff are in continuous efforts to cut larger branches and assist with cleanup. The town has asked residents to drag all debris to the street where town crews can pick up and haul to the landfill.
Kerrobert residents are also asked to conserve water until power to the water treatment plant can be restored. Mock recognizes that clean up is expected to take at least the remainder of the week and potentially into the following week.
“While no hail was reported in Kerrobert, the wind was severe enough to cause significant damage, and I have no reports of anyone being injured due to this storm,” he says.
The Town of Kerrobert Culture and Recreation Facebook page stated that, “Another nasty storm hit last night in Kerrobert with winds that did major damage. We are hearing reports of flipped campers, flying bins, damaged homes, businesses, fences and vehicles, but the sweet sound of chainsaws reminds us that everyone here will get right to work.”
The post goes onto say as of 9:30 a.m., Aug. 2, Kerrobert was heading into a ninth hour without power. Residents were reminded that the pool will remain closed and to stay clear of community parks until cleanup can occur.
