A large pine tree fell across Spruce St. between May St. and McCormick St., taking a power pole and lines with it. The road was closed.
Joshua Murdock
A powerful thunderstorm blitzed the Missoula and Bitterroot valleys Wednesday evening, sparking wildfires, toppling trees and powerlines and generally snarling civilization in a 30-minute rampage.
As emergency crews fanned out across western Montana, they kept weather eyes on an expected second storm front expected to hit early Thursday morning. A following cold front was forecast to drop temperatures from the triple digits down to the mid-80s Thursday and Friday.
Winds strong enough to wobble street lamp poles hit downtown Missoula shortly before 9 p.m. Wednesday. Soon tree branches, then whole trees started falling on power lines across the city. Internet and cell phone service failed across much of the region around 10 p.m.
A fallen spruce on Spruce St. near Providence St. Patrick’s hospital.
Rob Chaney
A fallen live
