Thunderstorm Wind in Sanders County, Montana

A line of thunderstorms with wind gusts exceeding 60 mph, moved through Sanders, Lake and Flathead Counties, leaving a wake of wind damage to power lines, trees, buildings and airplanes. As the storms moved through Sanders County, strong winds knocked down trees onto power lines and injured a man in Paradise. In the town of Dixon, strong winds blew roofs off homes that hit and damaged the Old Dixon Store. As the storms moved through Lake County, wind damage was reported from Ronan to the southern end of Flathead Lake. Strong winds at the Ronan Airport caused the ropes to break off a Cessna 150, which careened into a Cessna 172, damaging both airplanes. Trees were reported uprooted near Finley Point and Polson, leaving at least two houses damaged from fallen trees. Strong wind gusts tore off part of the face of the Old Mill Place along Main Street in Polson, damaging a vehicle. 10 miles west of Polson, a small barn was blown over in Irvine Flats. Before the storms weakened in Flathead County, a twelve inchdiameter tree was blown over near Big Fork, damaging a home owners fence.