High-speed winds have knocked over semi-trucks, downed trees and killed power in southern Saskatchewanian communities, including Regina, following a spring storm tearing across the province.
As of Friday morning, one day after the forecasted storm’s arrival, SaskPower reported having crews at all the active unplanned power cuts, according to its outage tracker. Some were said to be working on repairs, while others were arriving on the scene and determining next steps.
The town of Radville in the RM of Laurier saw gusts up to 115 km/h, said Global News Meteorologist Peter Quinlan, adding damage typically begins when winds are faster than 90 km/h.
“This is an extreme and unusual event,” said Joel Cherry, a spokesperson for SaskPower.
“The most important thing where power lines are concerned during high winds is the potential for a line to come down, whether that’s directly because of high winds bringing a line down or, quite often, trees coming down on lines.”
Crews in Weyburn West retired for the night early on Friday morning, around 12:25 a.m., “due to safety reasons (and) due to high winds,” the utility provider said.
Get daily National news
Those with no power or generator should ensure they have a flashlight with batteries, the spokesperson said.
“If you are using a generator, obviously, don’t run it inside — that can cause issues with carbon monoxide,” Cherry added.
Dust storms are also occurring in parts of the province, including the Village of Consul.
“I was just standing at my kitchen window and looked out to the south and (said), ‘What the heck is that cloud?’” Consul Mayor Travis Seifert told Global News.
“It was kind of an eerie feeling,” Seifert added, describing his reaction to the dust storm from his truck. “All of a sudden, the town got quite dark. It was a little scary — you couldn’t see where you were driving or anything like that, so you pretty much had to stop and wait it out.”
His power was knocked out on Wednesday and restored on Thursday night, he said.
“(My son) wasn’t as scared as I was. I was like, ‘We better get back home.’ And he (said) ‘No, I want to go out and explore more.’ I said, ‘I don’t know, I don’t want to get hit by someone or a semi behind me,’” Consul’s mayor said.
On Thursday, the provincial RCMP warned drivers of the gusts’ impacts on safety, and some semi-trucks, in south Saskatchewan.
Tipped tractor trailers and semis were reported near Belle Plaine, just outside of Regina, at an intersection north of the city, and on Highway One, west of Webb, according to the RCMP’s news release.
Police said a two-vehicle collision involving a semi also occurred south of Highway One near Moose Jaw.
“Saskatchewan RCMP is continually receiving reports of similar incidents,” the release added, reminding drivers to check the Highway Hotline.
Travel may be challenging across Saskatchewan this weekend, as northwestern communities continue facing spring thaw-related overland flooding.
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.