GUERNSEY – The storms that came through the Wheatland and Guernsey area May 19 and 20 caused a lot of damage to trees and structures. Some pine trees that were more than 100 years old were completely uprooted due to straight-line winds.
Gusts to almost 70 mph were reported by the National Weather Service out of Cheyenne.
Out-buildings belonging to Donald and Hazel Canaday were damaged May 19. Due to the flying debris, their truck and a lawn mower were also damaged at their residence on U.S. Hwy. 26 east of town.

“We didn’t have any insurance,” said Donald Canaday. “It happened around 7:15. We had a little bit of hail, but not much. The wind just came up, boom, and just instantly it took the roof off the shed we just finished building. The whole think lasted about a minute and a half.”
A vehicle parked in the yard was damaged when the roof of the structure blew off, separated and went in three different directions. Pieces of roof were found as far away as 100-feet from the structure. The roof also careened off the truck and smashed a lawn mower that was sitting on a flatbed trailer. The top of the gas tank was shattered.
“The wind was really, really strong,” said Hazel Canaday, who was coming from an out-building to the residence when the storm hit.
“It came up all of a sudden,” she said. “At first, I thought to stand in the shed, but then I thought, ‘Oh no, this is getting way out of hand. I’m going to go get in the house.’ I started over there and it picked me up and slammed me down.”
Canaday, who had just recently had knee surgery, was literally picked up and carried about three feet before sending her to the ground. Her knee was swollen, and she was feeling some discomfort due to the impact of the fall, she said.