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Saturday's storm system brought steady rain to the region through the day, but a sudden downpour Saturday evening triggered flash flooding at Eston Riverside Park, leaving a trail of damage through roads, trails and the adjacent golf course.
The storm rolled in around 5 p.m. and dumped an estimated 2.5 inches (63.5 mm) of rain, according to park staff and local observers. 4' in total from the day. Video captured during the downpour by Kelly Knight shows rivers of water carving through the campground and park paths, with flows several feet deep sweeping across normally dry ground.
The damage was extensive.
Park manager Glenn Hartsook said water overtook the park’s lower sections, downing trees and flooding roads. One major route remains submerged beneath a fallen tree. Golf course infrastructure also took a hit — boards were lifted from a bridge and near hole No. 1, three large culverts were washed out, and multiple gravel roads were torn up.
“We had a horrible downpour... it just flooded everything,” said Hartsook. “It comes off the fields and funnels right through the park and golf course — washed out culverts, trees down, gravel moved. The power of water, I tell you, it’s unbelievable.”
A follow-up video captured by West Central Online’s Jenny Hagan on Sunday shows widespread debris, damaged pathways, and dislodged wooden posts from cabin areas. Golf course staff said some greens were covered in water, and No. 5 was among the hardest hit.
On Sunday, the Eston Riverside Golf Course posted a closure notice on Facebook, saying both the park entrance and internal roads had suffered major washouts. “Please stay off — that means no golf carts and no people,” the post read. “Our maintenance staff will be working hard in the coming week to try to get our park back in shape.”
Volunteers and the RM are expected to assist with cleanup, but the total cost of repairs remains unknown.
The area had already experienced a cleanup just weeks earlier from a prior flood event. This weekend’s storm is being described by some as a “once-in-50-years” event for its intensity and impact.
Local officials are warning visitors to avoid the park until assessments and repairs can be completed. Further updates will be provided by the park and golf course as work progresses.