The Community
This issue of The Community Press officially marks 115 years of publishing weekly in Flagstaff & Area
Volume 116 Issue 01
Press Telling YOUR Story since 1908! www.thecommunitypress.com
Widespread damage in Killam following hail storm on Canada Day “ ” I just finished a walk through that made me sick to my stomach.
Wes Campbell of the Campbell-McLennan Chrysler dealership after seeing extent of hail damage Leslie Cholowsky Editor
A violent hail storm with ping pong to golf ball sized hail ripped through the Killam and Strome areas on Saturday, July 1, damaging homes, vehicles, and businesses in its wake. The storm continued along Highway 13, hitting Sedgewick with peasized hail, and shortly after that a storm hit Hardisty with torrential rain and pea-sized hail. Sheena Koehli from Killam saw the cloud coming in from the southwest around 7 p.m. photographing it at 7:15. She says, “It was actually pretty calm out when I took it and then about five to 10 minutes later all hell broke lose.” An apt description, as large winddriven hail pounded into buildings and vehicles, hard enough to puncture siding, break windows, and even windshields. Lawns and roadways were covered with leaves and branches after the swift-moving storm moved through the town after around 10 minutes. Environment Canada issued a Se-
vere Thunderstorm Watch around 10 a.m. upgrading to a Warning about a half hour before the storm hit. Another strong damaging storm hit the hamlet of Galahad around the same time. Killam appeared to get the PHOTO COURTESY LOGAN TEERS worst of the hail. The majority of homes and buildings other.” in Killam have damage to their Kellert posted the following on sowest-facing sides; to siding, win- cial media: “Tonight our Town expedows, doors, and more. rienced quite a hail storm which has Farms west of Killam were also hit caused some significant damage and hard, with some crops taking 100 created quite a mess around town. I per cent damage. know that each of you will have a lot In at least one case, shingles were of clean up to do in your own yards torn off a roof, and others had win- and around your homes. Can I just dows punctured clean through, with encourage each of us to be mindful hail coming in their houses. of those who are around us and Killam Mayor Ben Kellert issued a specifically our seniors who may not statement shortly after the storm. He be able to clean up all this debris? says, “After the storm had passed, I Pitch in, lend a hand... it will do drove around town to survey some your heart good!” of the damage that was caused and Kellert adds, “As I drove around it is truly horrendous. the community today picking up “I really felt that with the extent of piles of branches and leaves from the damage, we could once again people’s yards; I was amazed at how prove why we are able to pride our- many people had already cleaned selves in our town slogan as ‘Life up their yards and perhaps other without Compromise’ by being a people’s yards as well. Our community that stands with each Continued on Page 20 PHOTO COURTESY SHEENA KOEHLI
Wednesday, July 5, 2023 s