Hail storm pelts town

By Rob Vogt
The early warning system activated just after 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 11, setting off cell phones all over town – a hailstorm was coming to Claresholm.
A few minutes later, Mother Nature unleashed her wrath on the entire community.
Golf-ball-sized hail powered by high winds smashed windows in buildings and vehicles, ripped vinyl siding, dented vehicles and buildings, blew away patio furniture, uprooted and damaged trees, and left yards and gardens looking as if they had been attacked by a weed whacker.
Crops were not immune outside town as some producers experienced heavy damage and loss.
Jace McLean, the director of infrastructure for the Town of Claresholm, surveyed the damage all over town.
The storm came from the north, blowing south, so he said the north side of buildings suffered a lot of the damage. Vinyl siding, windows and anything made of plastic suffered damage, while plants, trees and gardens also took a beating.
A lot of vehicles were also damaged, ranging from dents and body damage to broken windshields and mirrors.
All the branches, leaves and plant debris also plugged storm drains. With one inch of rain coming that fast, it overwhelmed the storm sewer system.
The accumulation of hail that size also slowed water flows down.
McLean said the town’s initial response was to unplug those drains and got water moving off the street into the storm-water sewer system.
“That was our biggest mess,” he said. “Getting the water off the road (was important).”
McLean also did an inspection of town facilities and they were not immune from the hailstorm.
The vinyl siding at the Centennial Campground building was hit.
Windows on the old school house and the cabin at the Claresholm and District Museum were broken.
The Claresholm Social Centre had two broken windows as well.
Every town vehicle was dented and staff found four broken windshields.
The flower beds maintained by the town’s gardener also took a beating, as did trees.
McLean suggested as residents continue to clean up, to take plant material to the town’s compost pile, and clean sidewalks and gutters.
He wanted to express his appreciation to all the residents who helped each other and the community.
“I saw a lot of that,” McLean said. “Neighbours banding together.”
He also observed all the drainage improvements and storm-water sewer upgrades the town has invested in over the past decade or so have paid off.
“Everything worked as designed,” he said, adding there was no flooding or sewer back-ups. “The system handled the rain.
“It was incredible.
“There were no issues.”
(For more coverage please see page 20)