The National Weather Service has confirmed the severe storm that moved through Great Falls on Sunday resulted in a wet macroburst.
A wet macroburst happens after a storm moves into an area and collapses, which creates strong out-flowing winds from the middle of the storm.
During Sunday’s wet macroburst, winds at the Great Falls International Airport clocked in at 60 miles per hour. There was also storm damage reported in Black Eagle. The resulting damage covered a 2.5 mile radius, which is why the event was considered a macroburst, and not a microburst.
Great Falls Fire Rescue called a second alarm to bring in extra personnel due to the weather-caused emergency. Extensive damage was done to roofing, trees and siding across the Electric City, and several power lines were brought down due to the severe conditions.
Other storms brought heavy rain, nickel-sized hail, and numerous power outages to central and north-central Montana.
Montana Department of Transportation resources:
- Road conditions map
- MDT webcams across Montana
- Non-MDT webcams across Montana
- Road conditions mobile app
- Reported crashes/slide-offs
STORMTracker Weather resources:
