People in communities across southern Alberta are cleaning up after a wind storm whipped through the province on Wednesday, toppling trees and causing power outages.
Environment Canada issued a wind warning for Calgary and several surrounding communities just after 4:30 a.m. In it, they warned an intense low pressure system could bring gusts up to 100 km/h.
In a weather summary for Alberta posted online on Thursday, Environment Canada said wind gusts in Calgary during the storm peaked at 89 km/h, while Edmonton recorded wind gusts at 96 km/h.
According to Environment Canada, Keoma, Alta., saw the most intense wind in all the province, with speeds of 117 km/h.
The violent winds were accompanied by a deluge of rain, with 31.5 milimetres of precipitation recorded in just 24 hours at the Springbank Airport outside of Calgary.
The wind caused power outages for thousands of people across the province. As of Thursday morning none were reported in Calgary by Enmax, but dozens were still in place in surrounding communities serviced by Fortis Alberta.
Violent wind causes destruction in Calgary
In Calgary, the wind caused several construction sites in the downtown core to be closed for fears building materials or debris could be swept away, endangering Calgarians.
The wind was responsible for downing utility poles in the area of Blackfoot Trail S.E. and Ogden Road S.E.
In the community of Crescent Heights, a tree was badly damaged in the 200 block of 12 Avenue N.W.
In the community of Rundle, a tree was toppled in the area of Rundle Crescent N.E. and Radford Road N.E.
In the community of Mission, a tree was downed in the intersection of 25 Avenue S.W. and 2 Street S.W.
The fast-moving wind also forced Air Canada to caution travelers that planes landing or taking off from the Calgary International Airport could be impacted by the strong gusts. The company took to its online daily travel outlook to ask customers to check the status of their flights online or by calling their automated flight information system to ensure they hadn’t been cancelled or delayed.
Was your home or yard damaged by Wednesday’s wind storm? Email photos and your contact information to Calgary@globalnews.ca and we may use them on air or online.
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