Summer Storm Turns Idaho Streets Into Ice-Filled Rivers After Torrential Hail and Lightning
Parts of Idaho looked more like the Arctic than the first full weekend of summer after powerful thunderstorms dumped torrential rain and hail across the state, flooding streets with ice and sending water rushing through neighborhoods.
Dramatic social media footage showed surreal scenes near Boise, where a resident was seen paddling a bright green kayak through ice-covered floodwaters on a suburban road. The storm also brought intense lightning, damaging winds and widespread flooding across parts of Idaho’s Treasure Valley.
Hail Piles Up as Streets Flood
The severe weather hit parts of southwestern Idaho on Saturday, covering roads with small hail that accumulated in large amounts.
“It was small hail, but there was an awful lot of it,” Josh Smith, the National Weather Service’s lead meteorologist in Boise, told the Idaho Statesman.
In some neighborhoods, the hail piled up several inches deep before quickly melting and overwhelming storm drains. Combined with more than an inch of rain, the fast-melting hail helped turn residential streets into fast-moving channels of floodwater.
Videos showed cars nearly swallowed by rising water, with some vehicles submerged up to their windows. Trash bins were seen floating through streets that looked more like rivers than roads.
Treasure Valley Hit by Wind, Rain and Lightning
The storm caused widespread damage across the Treasure Valley, a heavily populated region that includes parts of Ada and Canyon counties.
According to reports, winds topped 50 mph in some areas as heavy rain, hail and lightning moved across the region.
Smith said even some National Weather Service employees in northwest Meridian reported several inches of hail on the ground.
“That probably led to some of the flooding issues with some of those neighborhoods because all that melted off quickly, and the drains weren’t able to handle it,” he said.
Hundreds of Lightning Strikes Recorded
Lightning was another major feature of the storm.
Rural Owyhee County, located about 150 miles south of Boise near the Nevada border, recorded 553 lightning strikes. Ada County recorded 100 lightning strikes in a single day, making it the second-highest one-day June total there since 2000, according to the National Weather Service.
The combination of lightning, heavy rain and strong winds created dangerous conditions across several communities.
Disaster Emergency Declared in Canyon County
Officials in Canyon County declared a countywide disaster emergency as crews responded to storm damage and flooding.
In Ada County, highway district workers spent the night clearing flooded roads and dealing with hazards left behind by the storm.
The Boise Police Department shared images of flooded, river-like streets on Facebook and urged drivers to use “extreme caution.”
Neighboring Payette County also reported mudslides triggered by severe flooding, forcing multiple highway and street closures, according to the sheriff’s office.
It was not immediately clear whether anyone had been injured.
Dangerous Weather Expected to Continue
Forecasters warned that the dangerous weather pattern could continue through the weekend, bringing additional risks of flooding, lightning and hazardous road conditions.
The storm served as a striking reminder that severe summer weather can turn dangerous quickly, even in areas more commonly associated with dry heat than ice-covered streets.
For residents across parts of Idaho, the first full weekend of summer brought an unforgettable scene: hail floating like chunks of ice, cars surrounded by floodwater and one kayaker paddling through a neighborhood street.
News compilation from: https://nypost.com/
