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Microburst damage in the Tobacco Root mountains Sunday

2 ATV riders were rescued
Posted at 5:26 PM, Aug 13, 2019
and last updated 2019-08-13 19:26:44-04

SHERIDAN - The Madison County Sheriff Phil Fortner tells MTN news a microburst hit the Tobacco Root Mountains Sunday evening stranding 2 ATV riders who needed to be rescued.
A line of severe thunderstorms developed between Dillon-Sheridan-Belgrade Sunday late afternoon and early evening producing large damaging hail but now we are getting reports of a likely microburst toppling and entire mountain side of trees.

Sheriff Fortner tells MTN news they received a 911 call at 6:47 pm Aug 11th that 2 ATV riders were stranded above a massive blow down of trees near Bell Lake in the Tobacco Root Mountains. Madison county search and rescue responded along with a National Forest Service fire team who had to cut a path to the ATV riders.

2 air force helicopters with Flir were called out to search for others that may have been caught in the storm. Sheriff Fortner says that all search and rescue efforts were called off Monday and no one else needed assistance and no other reports of missing individuals or stranded vehicles.

All ended well with no injuries from this microburst.

A “microburst” is a very intense downdraft usually associated with strong to severe thunderstorms. Wind gusts over 60 mph along with large damaging hail impacted this region on Sunday.