Windstorm cuts power to 7,500 in Red Deer, worst since 2017

A windstorm knocked out power to roughly 7,500 customers across Red Deer on Thursday, according to the city's senior utilities superintendent, Dean Walker. Environment and Climate Change Canada meteorologist Brian Proctor said wind gusts at the Red Deer Regional Airport peaked at 83 km/h during the storm, with sustained winds around 52 km/h.

Outages were concentrated in three areas of the city. The northwest, including Edgar and Queens, saw about 250 customers lose power for 25 minutes. The east side, covering Timberlands, Clearview Ridge, College Park, Clearview Meadows, Michener Hill, Rosedale, Eastview and Deer Park, had roughly 2,500 customers affected for 35 minutes. The hardest-hit area was the south, including Capstone, South Hill, Bower, SouthPointe Junction, RDP and West Park, where about 4,800 customers lost power.

Walker said one power pole came down in the Timberlands area and will need to be replaced, though a temporary fix is currently in place. A second pole was damaged in the south end but was salvageable. He thanked residents for reporting issues and staying clear of the area so crews could complete repairs, noting this was the most significant impact on the city since the June 2017 windstorm.

Proctor also reported 624 lightning strikes between noon and 3 p.m. in a region stretching from Innisfail to Ponoka and from Eckville to Stettler, calling the activity somewhat unusual for this late in the season but not unprecedented. Residents with concerns about city electrical infrastructure can contact EL&P at 403-342-8274, which operates 24/7.