Gone with the wind
By STU MERRY
An active weather pattern late last week brought welcome moisture to the area on successive days. Precipitation amounts varied from ¼ inch to more than 1½.
What wasn’t welcome was a storm Saturday morning that brought other companions. Wind and small hail.
The storm struck about 7 a.m.
Wade Billadeau, who lives just south of Raub, said he heard what he described as a shearing wind. He didn’t think any more of it until he went outside. It was then that he saw his 80x160 shop was completely destroyed. A closer look revealed debris scattered in an adjacent field that spread over about a ¾-mile area.
The intensity of the storm caught him off guard.
"I knew it was windy, but I didn’t expect to wake up to this," he said.
Billadeau’s neighbor, Stacey Roberts, also lost a large machine shed. Debris was also scattered over a wide distance.
Looking at the damage, Billadeau wondered how he would get tractors out from under the debris. Assessing the overall damage, he shook his head, saying, "Just when you think you have a free summer."
