GREAT FALLS — Strong winds swept through Great Falls on Wednesday, Sept. 2, knocking out power and leaving damage across the area. By Thursday morning, signs of the storm were still visible at Jaycee Park, where three windscreens had been torn loose from the pickleball courts.
WATCH Madison Collier's report below:
There you could find members of the Electric City Pickleball Club with ladders and zip ties, working to secure the screens and get the courts ready for play.
Graham Taylor, who is a member of the club, said the screens make the courts playable during everyday wind, but can act like sails when stronger gusts move through.
“They capture the wind, and a strong wind, especially like we had yesterday afternoon, these sails that we put up are strong enough to capture the wind and quite literally bend the poles,” Baker said.
Though repairing them is not a quick task. Taylor, joined by David Caldwell and Mike Baker, checked and repaired each zip-tie around the court. They said securing them requires the right equipment—and ideally better weather.
“It takes a tall ladder and a calm day,” Taylor said. “We had the tall ladder today. It wasn’t so calm.”
While the windscreens do not stop wind from affecting the courts, players said they make a noticeable difference.
“Without the windscreens, this is Great Falls. It’s hard to play pickleball in the wind,” club member David Caldwell said. “The windscreens don’t cut it all, but they make it playable.”
They also explained that some of that maintenance can extend to debris on the surface. Bobby King, who regularly plays pickleball at the courts, said players commonly pitch in to clean up when needed.
“If it’s bad, usually several of us will bring our blowers and we’ll blow the court off,” King said.
The cleanup effort at Jaycee Park was one small part of the efforts happening across Great Falls and north-central Montana. That same storm also caused power outages across the area.
In a statement, NorthWestern Energy said the outages were caused by trees and debris that had blown into power lines.
“When the storm was over, NorthWestern Energy crews and contracted tree crews started removing trees and debris, repairing damaged equipment and restoring service. Crews continue working today to restore power to customers who remain without service," they added.
The company is reminding people to stay at least 30 feet away from downed power lines and avoid touching anything in contact with one, including trees, branches or other debris. People cleaning up after the storm should also watch for power lines hidden beneath fallen trees and branches.
At Jaycee, players were focused on restoring their own corner of the community—and getting back on the court.
“We’re gonna come out and play if we can, if the weather’s at all possible,” King said.
