On Sunday afternoon, Woonsocket was hit by a violent thunderstorm that caused major damage to the structure. The village, which has a population of approximately 650 people, was subjected to wind gusts that were predicted to range from sixty to eighty miles per hour. In the vicinity of Lane, a wind gust of 81 miles per hour was reported to have been recorded as the storm headed eastward toward Woonsocket.
The damage that was recorded by the National Weather Service is consistent with winds that traveled in a straight line over a path that was both lengthy and narrow. The storm caused widespread power outages throughout the region, and it also caused damage to a number of establishments and trees. The storm did not fulfill the formal requirements to be recognized as a derecho, according to the officials who handled the situation.
Deb Boschee, a resident, stated that there were power outages and debris all over individual private property.
Only the yard, the garden, and a large number of trees have been damaged by us. Boschee remarked that we are fortunate.
The Superintendent of the Woonsocket School District, Rod Weber, stated that he was not present in the town during the storm; nonetheless, he was informed that his residence and many other structures in the neighborhood had sustained damage.
“All I know is that the storage shed has been removed, and a business that was located uptown has been eliminated,” Weber stated.
NorthWestern Energy requested that citizens report downed power lines to Tara Weber, the City Finance Officer, according to a message that was made on social media by the Woonsocket Volunteer Fire Department. It has been claimed that South Dakota Highway 34 is inaccessible through the town because of the presence of fallen trees and debris from structures. At the intersection close to Lane, Highways 34 and 281 were also temporarily stopped, which restricted passage in both directions between westbound and northbound traffic.
Many locals have stated that the storm made its way into Woonsocket from the direction of the northwest. The number of confirmed injuries and fatalities has not yet been determined as of Sunday evening. At the same time as local officials are continuing to evaluate the extent of the damage, cleanup activities are currently underway.
