A wind warning was issued for Calgary on Wednesday morning with gusts up to 90 kilometres an hour expected.
The warning from Environment Canada was issued at around 8:30 a.m. and also included Rocky View County near Cochrane. Those warnings were dropped by 3:30 p.m.
“Loose objects may be tossed by the wind and cause injury or damage,” Environment Canada said. “Be prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions due to high winds.”
The Calgary Fire Department said it responded to trees landing on power lines, debris flying onto roadways and siding and roofing material ripped from buildings.
The CFD reminded people to secure things in their yard and call 911 if they see a downed power line and ensure they stay 10 metres away.
“All of these incidents created potentially serious public hazards for citizens,” the CFD said. “A majority of the incidents occurred between the hours of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.”
Fire crews responded to a collapsed cinder block at a construction site at the 1000 block of Edmonton Trail, landing on a neighbouring house after 8:30 a.m. No injuries were reported.
Calgary homeowner Joanne Reid called the aftermath a “totally disastrous mess.”
“I came home to this big mess, and my husband described hearing a loud crash,” she said as her hair blew in the wind.
“The neighbour’s garage is flattened. The corner of her house is ripped off. Her gas and electricity had to be cut off because the power lines came down. The corner of our deck is totally smashed.”
After noon, people reported to 911 that metal sheeting was coming off of the top floor of a high-rise residential building located at the 200 block of 5 Avenue. Crews removed the metal and stored it inside. No injuries were evident, CFD said.
At the Hangar Flight Museum, the wind punctured an aging structure that houses aircraft, prompting concerns for public safety.
“We have been hit hard here at the museum with the tent hangar,” executive director Brian Desjardins said.
“The tear has essentially escalated quite a bit to the point where we have informed all the authorities.”
The CFD confirmed it responded to the 4600 block of McCall Way for damage to a large industrial storage tent before 1 p.m.
“Today’s wind tore a large section of the roof, putting it at risk of tearing off completely and possibly landing in traffic of the nearby roadway, McKnight Boulevard,” the CFD said.
“Firefighters scaled the inside of the structure and safely removed the loose portion of the tent roof without incident. No injuries were reported.”
Desjardins added that no planes were damaged.
Amid the windy conditions in Calgary on Wednesday, WinSport announced it would be keeping the ski and snowboard hill at Canada Olympic Park closed for the evening.
The hill was set to be open from 4 – 9 p.m. WinSport said it anticipates the hill will be open for business on Thursday evening.
The wind warning in Calgary was one of many other warnings in place throughout the province on Wednesday, including another in the Lethbridge area, a freezing rain warning in Edmonton and snowfall warnings in the Banff and Jasper regions.
For a complete list of areas in Alberta under a weather alert, click here.
Want your weather on the go? Download Global News’ Skytracker weather app for iPhone, iPad and Android.
Comments