Springbrook and Area News
August 10, 2006 Hail and Wind Storm

Aug. 30, 2006
Springbrook Community Rehabilitation Begins
Rehabilitation work has started on several homes and condominiums in Springbrook in getting buildings protected from the elements until roofers and siders can begin work on replacing damaged shingles and siding after the hail and wind storm of August 10. For some, repairs could be a long wait but for others, work has already begun and, if the weather holds out, much of the major work could be done before winter. Several contractors and insurance adjusters can be seen around the community on a daily basis sizing up the work that needs to be done and preparing for the major task ahead.

August 15, 2006
Storm Repairs Could Take Up to One Year
Auto and RV repair shops will be a lot busier than usual over the next few months as people with damaged vehicles from last week's storm try to get their vehicles repaired. Some vehicles repairs will cost several thousand dollars. Roofers and window repair companies are already busy. Siding repairs will take a lot longer, up to a year to get the job completed, mostly due to the lack of skilled tradespeople and the fact that most contractors are booked up for several months due to the hot building boom. Temporary protection measures will need to be done before winter sets in. In the meantime, the County sees no need to offer financial assistance as most repairs will be covered by insurance. However, Family & Community Support Services (FCSS) will provide guidance to anyone seeking assistance, especially those who were particularly hard hit or didn't have insurance.

August 12, 2006 Springbrook Clean Up Begins After Devastating Storm

People all around Springbrook spent their Saturday cleaning up debris, raking lawns, fixing roofs, sawing downed trees and branches, picking up broken glass and fixing the little things that were damaged during Thursday's storm. Many windows continued to be boarded up and tarps covered many recreational vehicles and roofs throughout the hamlet. And a steady stream of cars toured the streets with people from the city and other parts of the county wanting to see with their own eyes what nature can do in a relatively short time. The major work, like replacing the vinyl siding, roof repair and getting new windows, could take several weeks or months depending on whether sufficient labourers can be found to do the work at a time when there is already a shortage of skilled workers. Some residents whose windows had been broken during the storm found themselves overwhelmed by what needs to be done to get their homes back to normal while others were grateful that no one was seriously hurt considering the number of windows broken during tornado force winds and hail. As insurance adjusters attempted to tally up the cost of repairs, more details of damage came to the surface. At the airport, one plane was pushed into a hangar door by the winds and a few planes and helicopters that hadn't been moved indoors suffered considerable damage. Almost all the windows on the west side of the older barracks buildings being used by the cadets were broken. A tree had fallen during the storm bringing power lines down with it. The devastating storm cut a swath between Markerville and Springbrook before downgrading to heavy rain as it moved east.

August 11, 2006
Storm Damage Estimates in the Millions of Dollars
Preliminary estimates for the cost of damage in Thursday's storm could end up being in the millions of dollars. Virtually all homes in the hamlet of Springbrook had some damage and for some, it was extensive. Vinyl siding was ripped off or shredded on at least one side of the majority of buildings by the intense winds that gusted up to 125 km/hr and tennis- to golf-ball size hail. Many homes had broken windows and roof damage. Damage was also caused by tree branches falling on buildings. Some vehicles had side windows blown out. Trees were stripped bare and gardens pummelled. Most recreational vehicles sustained significant damage. The dormitory buildings housing the 900 summer cadets had several windows broken. Three cadets suffered minor injury from broken glass or slipping on stairs. Hail stones, slush and ice were still on the ground in some areas more than 15 hours after the storm. Some area crops were totally wiped out reducing many fields to stubble. There were some reports of power lines down. Residents who saw the storm coming reported seeing the sky first turn dark green, then totally black and clouds moving faster than they had ever seen. Environment Canada called it a "straight line wind event" that can cause more damage than a tornado and cover a wider area. It will likely take weeks, if not months, for homes to be restored to their original condition. Meanwhile, rain, heavy at times, fell most of this afternoon, causing more grief for residents that had experienced roof or window casing damage with some minor flooding being reported.
County Sets Up Waste Bins for Yard Clean-up After Storm
In response to yesterday's storm damage, Red Deer County has set up a fenced yard waste collection area near the Springbrook recreation centre and ball diamonds for fallen trees, limbs and leaves only. Other debris including construction materials and waste, siding, broken glass and other damaged items are not to be dumped there.

August 10, 2006
Intense Hail Storm Hits Springbrook
Around 5 pm on Thursday August 10, an intense hail storm with winds gusting around 100 km/hr and golf-ball size hail stones hit the community of Springbrook causing severe damage to siding, roofs and windows of many homes, damage to some vehicles and trailers, downed tree branches and most vegetation flattened or stripped of its leaves. There were no serious injuries but Red Deer County emergency personnel did a door to door check of every residence in the hamlet to make sure no one was hurt and to determine if there was damage to homes that could be considered dangerous. Funnel clouds had been spotted in the area but there is no evidence of an actual tornado touching down although many residents experienced an event unlike they had ever experienced before. Returning from work after the storm, most people couldn't believe what they were seeing. Four hours after the storm  passed, hail still covered many lawns, steps and gardens. Debris, including shingles, shattered siding and branches, littered the entire residential area. The hail had been so intense that most buildings had puncture holes from the hail stones. Some had windows on their homes and cars shattered. For a few hours, emergency personnel weren't allowing anyone except residents into the hamlet and even then with some reservation. There was some fear that downed power lines or gas lines could be a hazard but after considerable investigation, it was determined that damage to utilities was minimal.  (more pictures)


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