Summer in Sandpoint brought upon several unpredictable weather occurrences for residents as thunderstorms were more impactful than expected.

On July 23 and August 2, Sandpoint was met with two large thunder and lightning storms this summer that left many families without power. Northern Lights Electric reported at the height of the storm on July 23, 12,000 customers were without electricity.

For some people, the power outage lasted for over a week. Garfield Bay was one of the hardest hit areas by the storm. Northern Lights counted over 30 broken power poles. It is estimated that the five minutes of heavy storm cost Northern Lights Electric over $1 million.

The second storm on August 2, seemed to hit city residents harder than the previous storm. The storm took down trees all over Sandpoint including a tree that fell on and broke the fence around the Sandpoint High School track. In the Lake Pend Oreille School district, Sandpoint High School had the most significant damage.

Around the high school approximately 30 trees fell, most being on or around the track and nearby fence. All repairs will be completed by mid September. The track alone will cost $50,000 to repair, most of which is covered by insurance.

Within the school district, the roof of a district storage building was damaged along with Farmin Stidwell’s roof and fence. The estimated total cost of the storm is around $73,000, with $65,000 of it being paid by insurance. The storm has left residents still picking up debris and remnants from the widespread destruction.