Van Halen's swimming pool disappeared under the deluge, and potted plants and trees were also demolished, his girlfriend Janie Liszewski told the paper. But the house was saved after firefighters fortified it with sandbags, she said.

The couple were not at home when the destruction started shortly after midnight on Monday. They were in the Canadian city of Edmonton for a reunion concert the night before by Van Halen's eponymous band. - more on this story