Heavy damage over a widespread land area resulted overnight last Thursday from hurricane force winds which accompanied a belt of thunderstorms in a sweep through central Saskatchewan.

One early estimate of the damage was around $4 million, but it is now expected by insurance adjusters the final figure will exceed that by a considerable amount.

Considered to be one of the hardest hit areas by the storm that started south of Swift Current and swept in a northeasterly direction, was the farming and potash mining community of Guernsey.

Dozens of farm buildings were flattened in the area and heavy damage, as yet unestimated, was done at the head frame of the mine shaft, and other buildings at Alwinsal Potash of Canada Limited.

A Saskatchewan Power Corporation spokesman said four main power lines in the Lanigan, Watrous and Davidson areas went out of service in the storm.

The power outage lasted about 20 hours, from the time the storm struck just after Thursday midnight,

In the town of Humboldt, damage by the winds was mainly to trees. However, there was some damage done to roofs and small buildings.

The storm continued on through the LeRoy, Englefeld, St. Gregor, and Watson areas, again causing considerable damage to farm buildings.

Buschmann Agencies Ltd. of Humboldt had received an estimated 300 claims as of Tuesday and expected many more to come.

Watrous area also was hit hard by the storm. The 465 foot radio antennae at the CBK radio transmitter was knocked down.

At Humboldt one trailer, which had not been mounted on a foundation, was overturned in the town's mobile home lot. There was no damage done at Mobile Village.

At Plunkett, several railway cars were blown off the track and overturned in a ditch.