Softball-sized hail, strong wind gusts reported in Manitoba storm

A storm that tore through a community northwest of Brandon Wednesday brought with it heavy winds and, in some areas, hail the size of softballs.

A close-knit community is picking up the pieces a day after a severe thunderstorm battered parts of southwestern Manitoba with softball-sized hail, leaving a trail of destruction and debris in its wake.

The storm that hit Oak River and Rivers, communities located northwest of Brandon, was unlike any storm resident Debbie Neely has ever seen before.

"It was pretty scary," she said. "The wind was crazy. The trees were bending over. There are no leaves left on the trees, and hail hitting the house – you just knew that it wasn't going to be good when you went and looked after."

The storm flattened farmers' fields, felled trees, smashed windows and damaged homes as hail pummelled the community. Pictures from the hard-hit areas show homes with siding that's been shredded by the downfall.

Natalie Hasell, a warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, said there were reports of hail the size of golf balls and ping pong balls near Rivers, and softball-sized hail near Oak River.

"Softball-sized hail, that's huge. That's very, very big for Manitoba," Hasell said. "Softball-sized hail can definitely cause a lot of damage.