Power restored to thousands, streets reopened after storm hit Edmonton Friday

Power restored to thousands, streets reopened after storm hit Edmonton Friday

Tornado, thunderstorm warnings issued Saturday for parts of central, eastern Alberta

Thousands of Edmonton households have power again and two thoroughfares have reopened, as the city recovers from a severe thunderstorm that passed through Friday evening.

The City of Edmonton, however, is still working to reopen several roadways and facilities, and repair some LRT crossing arms.

Environment Canada's historical weather radar shows the storm reached the city around 7:30 p.m., hitting the city's west and north sides hardest. Hourly weather data shows 30 millimetres of rain between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. in the Blatchford area, in central Edmonton on the north side.

It reportedly downed trees, caused flooding, forced road closures and cut power.

Thunderstorm blows through Edmonton, leaves behind road closures, power outages

More than 13,000 customers throughout the city lost electricity due to the storm, an Epcor spokesperson told CBC News Saturday morning.

Crews worked overnight to restore power as quickly as possible, the spokesperson said. The company's outage map, as of 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, shows just one outage left in the west end, affecting almost 115 customers.

The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) issued an advisory Friday night, stating flooding forced Yellowhead Trail to close from 66th Street to 121st Street, and downed trees shut down 97th Street to southbound traffic from 111th Avenue to 118th Avenue.

Both of those roads are now open, an EPS spokesperson told CBC News just before 11:45 a.m. Saturday. Although, the City of Edmonton said in a news release Saturday afternoon that crews are still working to reopen the Yellowhead at 82nd Street, under the CN Rail overpass, a section that flooded.

Work continues for city, utility crews

The city's release listed progress municipal and Epcor crews have made toward clearing debris, assessing damage and clearing flood water.

A downed traffic signal pole in the Strathcona area, at 83rd Avenue and 104th Street, has received "temporary repairs," but crews are still working in the area.

Meanwhile, Whitemud Drive near 170th and 178th streets has reopened despite remaining flooding, but an off-ramp in that area is still closed due to roadway subsidence — when the ground beneath the road sinks.

Corenda-Lee Steinhauer told CBC News that she drove through the flooded Whitemud on Friday night after the storm had passed.

"It was all bright and sunny and we're all marveling at the rainbow because it was so beautiful. ... We're just all happy that we're out of the storm. It's sunny and then we come across the flood," she said.

Nearby vehicles were stalled on the road and in the water, Steinhauer said.

"I didn't know what to do. ... I'm like, do I want to go through this? If I don't, we're literally going to be stuck here and I need to get to the other side because that that's the only way home."

Two other single lane closures are being addressed on 111th Avenue, near 158th Street, and at 118th Avenue, near 149th Street.

Crews are working to fix all the LRT crossing arms that were broken at various intersections.

The storm flooded multiple recreational facilities, according to the release. Some have re-opened, but others are closed indefinitely.

The Telus World of Science, an educational centre in the Woodcroft neighbourhood, is among the facilities that has had to shut down.

In a news release Saturday, the centre announced the building flooded Friday evening, forcing staff and visitors to evacuate.

City crews are on site, but the extent of the damage is not yet known, the release said, adding that the centre will post updates regularly on its website and social media channels.

Peter Hemingway Aquatic Centre, the main pool at the Grand Trunk Fitness and Leisure Centre and the Heritage Amphitheatre are also closed until further notice, according to the city's release.

The Commonwealth Recreation Centre was closed but re-opened Saturday. The Orange Hub, Citadel Theatre and Central Lions Recreation Centre all have some flooding but are still open to the public, the release said.

The city cautioned people about downed trees throughout Edmonton, and advised that any major delays to municipal construction projects will be communicated to the public.

Tornadoes in Alberta already up more than 50 per cent from last year

Before Friday's storm struck Edmonton, Environment and Climate Change Canada had already issued a few tornado and thunderstorm warnings west of the city earlier that day.

The weather agency issued several tornado warnings throughout Alberta this week — and a tornado actually touched down Wednesday in Dillberry Lake Provincial Park, in eastern Alberta, sending three people to hospital.

Environment Canada says its meteorologists are tracking a line of severe storms that could produce heavy rain, damaging gusts and hail as big as a quarter.

The agency has also issued yellow watches for parts of central and eastern Alberta, noting weather conditions are favourable for a severe thunderstorm to develop in Saturday afternoon and evening.

Saturday's storm could produce strong winds, hail and heavy rain, the agency says, adding that damage to roofs, fences, trees and "soft shelters" is possible.

A red tornado warning was issued by the agency for the County of Vermilion River near Tulliby Lake, Alta., just 60 kilometres northwest of Lloydminster. As of around 6 p.m. Saturday, the alert was no longer in effect.

Nicholas Frew is a CBC Edmonton reporter who specializes in producing data-driven stories. Hailing from Newfoundland and Labrador, Frew moved to Halifax to attend journalism school. He has previously worked for CBC newsrooms in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Before joining CBC, he interned at the Winnipeg Free Press. You can reach him at nick.frew@cbc.ca.