After taking Mother Nature's worst last week, float homes on Lake Pend Oreille are back to normal.

That's to say, upright.

"Everything is back to normal at this point," said Paul Celeri, office manager of the Scenic Bay Marina and Motel in Bayview. "Even the one severe float home is upright, where it should be."

On Friday, some of the float homes started to tip and sink under the weight of accumulated snow.

Some of the 80 to 100 floating homes are owned by part-time residents who aren't around to clear the snow during the winter months, so snow buildup isn't out of the ordinary. Added to that, many of the two-story homes have a boat shed at the base, which can make them unstable as snow and ice pile on top.

"There's not a lot of weight on the bottom," Celeri said. "Two-story homes are top heavy and the added weight pushes them over the edge."

By the weekend, neighbors and residents cleared the snow, and all of the homes were restored right side up.

The sudden winter blast last week came after a mostly mild January, which added to the element of surprise. Rain and snow showers are expected this week, according to weather reports.

Celeri said it can be a yearly occurrence for some of the houses to start to sink before residents remember to clear the snow, which is their responsibility.

"I don't believe anything was seriously damaged," he said.