A major storm that swept through Outlook and the surrounding area on Thursday night, July 20 left behind some devastating results and showed that Mother Nature isn't afraid to shake her iron fist.
Rain and hail together with strong wind gusts coming from the west started pelting down in the Milden and Conquest area at around 7:30, dropping hail up to the size of a quarter before continuing on to Outlook, where the aftermath could be seen almost instantly.
On Highway 15, just as the storm began rumbling into the area, the heavy wind threw tree branches, hay and grass across the road, making for some challenging driving conditions for those who perhaps found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The dangerous trio of rain, hail and wind - reportedly whipping at speeds of up to 80 km/hr - resulted in trees snapping like toothpicks in Conquest, falling on top of houses and even blocking a grid access road for some time, preventing motorists from driving into the village, including this reporter.
In assorted parts of Outlook, streets flooded with rainwater and the storm began showing its strength by continuing to wreak havoc, leveling a number of thick, longstanding trees and scattering them across front lawns, back alleys and on top of homes. At the Golden Acres Hi-Rise building, trees fell on top of cars. The roof of the Modern Cafe building - which features apartment housing upstairs - was crippled in the storm and scattered pieces of the structure across Saskatchewan Avenue.
Other noticeable effects of the storm included grain bins overturned on Riverbend Co-op property, and John Bob Farm Equipment losing the top of their highway sign heading east of Outlook.
As town workers assess the damage, this coming weekend will undoubtedly be a time of cleanup by crews and residents alike.
