Storm leaves Armstrong reeling

Kelowna Daily Courier Sunday, 29 July 2012 02:00 Don Plant 
 People in Armstrong were cleaning up Saturday after what some call the storm of the century thrashed the town with heavy rain and hail.  The Friday night storm sent rainwater cascading down streets, flooded dozens of basements and knocked out power in some areas for six hours. A landslide across Highway 97A south of town blocked all four lanes, forcing traffic to detour through Armstrong.  "Cars were pulled over; there was no movement," said fire Chief Ian Cummings. "The volume hitting cars, the noise was incredible. There was so much water on the highway, you would have hydroplaned off."  The thunderstorm started before 7 p.m. with normal rainfall but soon turned into a 45-minute monsoon, said Mayor Chris Pieper. Winds blew from all directions, blowing down large trees across several roads.  Storm sewers failed to absorb the deluge. The rainwater flowed down sloped streets and jumped the curbs in places. Townhouses and a factory were partially submerged.  "I know there are lots of houses flooded in town," said Pieper. "Farms are damaged. Grain and gardens are just hammered."  Firefighters and staff at Pioneer Square care home had to move elderly residents and their beds upstairs after the main floor flooded. The water poured everywhere it could find, said Cummings.  "It was spectacular. I've never seen anything like it. The hail, wind and flooding it caused was crazy."  The exhibition fairgrounds were flooded. Torrential hail the size of peas blanketed lawns and piled high under the eaves of houses. Pieper still had hail in his front yard 21 hours later.  "It was unreal," he said. "People have never seen a storm this long with so much rain. This was a big storm."  Harry Morgan used a chainsaw to buck a fallen tree on Kathy Wankel's property. The hail damaged her flower beds and smashed through a glass-topped table in her yard.  "The rain poured down my driveway, through my carport and out the other side," Wankel said. The landslide carried fine dirt and sand from a quarry across the highway. Officials worried the hill was unstable and closed the highway in case of more slides. They reopened it after three hours. Firefighters attacked a tree ignited by lightning. Cummings helped clear four large trees that had fallen across a road or power lines. He's surprised the hail didn't damage his vehicle.  "I was sure I'd have a bunch of dents. Lots of people's gardens were destroyed," he said. "I attended Pioneer Square. One of the men who lives there is in his 90s. He said it was the storm of century."  No one was reported injured during the storm. Restoration trucks were visible throughout the city. Damage is believed to be over $1 million.