LETHBRIDGE – More than 10,000 people throughout southern Alberta were without electricity Wednesday after harsh weather conditions wreaked havoc with power systems in the area.
A snowstorm knocked out power around 1:30 a.m. local time, with dozens of downed poles and power lines reported, said Jennifer MacGowan, a spokeswoman with Fortis Alberta, the local power utility.
"A severe spring storm went through southeastern Alberta, affecting the High River-Vulcan area right down to the south border and as far east as the Saskatchewan border," MacGowan said.
About 75 per cent of Lethbridge homes are without electricity, schools are closed and the hospital is using emergency power to keep running after the storm swept through the city.
Mayor Bob Tarleck is calling on residents to stay off the roads and limit their water consumption in light of the power outage.
"Spring came in suddenly and ferociously," he said.
A major power link to the southeastern Alberta town is down, leaving most without any electricity. Traffic lights are out and power to the water treatment centre has also been lost.
"We’re severely limited with the water," Tarleck said. "We are operating with the basics of water we’ve already treated."
The dump of wet snow is now melting, causing concern for flooding, he added.
MacGowan said crews from all over the province were working to restore power, which was proving difficult because many of the fallen poles were in remote areas and accessibility had become a problem for workers.
"We are restoring pockets of people as we figure out what’s going on. . . . There’s a possibility that some people will go overnight without power," MacGowan said, adding a number of power substations were also out of commission.
MacGowan said Fortis was urging the public to avoid any downed lines and to report outages to them immediately.
Storm warnings remained in effect throughout the region Wednesday.
CENTRAL ALBERTA
At 10:30 a.m., Environment Canada issued a severe weather warning to the following communities in central Alberta: Lloydminster, Wainwright, Vermilion, Hanna, Oyen, Drumheller and Three Hills. Ten to 15 more centimeters of snowfall are expected by late this afternoon. Conditions could improve this afternoon when snow turns to rain. There will be poor visibility on highway because of the high winds.
SOUTHERN ALBERTA
Environment Canada issued the same warning for several southern Alberta communities: Brooks, Strathmore, Vulcan, Lethbridge, Milk River, Taber, Medicine Hat, Bow Island, Suffield, Cypress Provincial Park, and Foremost. Five to 15 centimeters of snowfall are expected by late afternoon. High winds in these areas will cause poor visibility on highways. Conditions may improve late this afternoon when snow turns to rain.
(With file from Canwest News Service)
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