‘Disaster emergency’ declared in Canyon County as severe storms rip through Idaho

A “local disaster emergency” declaration was issued in Canyon County after a severe thunderstorm cell passed through the area on Wednesday.

The storm left downed trees along roads near Parma, caused a power outage, and damaged sheds and outbuildings, according to Aaron Williams, Canyon County director of Constituent Services. One person reportedly suffered a broken arm, but no more injuries or deaths were reported.

Williams told the Idaho Statesman that a possible tornado touched down within the emergency radius, which starts at Pearl Road and U.S. Highway 95, and goes north to the Payette County line.

Jackson Macfarlane, with the National Weather Service in Boise, told the Statesman on Wednesday evening that it would be “inappropriate” to call what happened a tornado at this point. He said a meteorological team would go to sites Thursday to investigate.

The weather service issued a severe thunderstorm watch earlier Wednesday for 19 counties in Idaho, including Canyon and Payette. Heavy storms producing hail and high winds blew through Southwest Idaho early in the afternoon along the U.S. 95 corridor.

“Declaring this as an emergency allows for additional resources to be utilized to serve the area that was impacted by the severe weather,” according to a news release from Canyon County. “This opens up an avenue to allow taxing districts who are providing support in the area to get reimbursed for possibly unanticipated costs.”