Saskatoon sees downed power lines, broken trees after extreme wind and thunderstorm

Saskatoon sees downed power lines, broken trees after extreme wind and thunderstorm

Several areas remain without power as cleanup begins

Saskatoon was still dealing with multiple power outages, damaged homes, fallen trees and the aftermath of electrical fires Thursday morning after a night that brought extreme winds and thunderstorms.

Environment and Climate Change Canada reported winds gusting up to 96 km/h overnight in the city.

Storm downs trees, knocks out power in parts of Saskatoon

Saskatoon Light & Power (SL&P) said it's aware of widespread power outages and crews were out assessing damage, identifying affected areas and carrying out repairs.

"Residents are encouraged to use caution during the morning commute, particularly at intersections where traffic signals may be without power," SL&P said in statement Thursday morning.

The release also advised people to stay clear of any downed power lines and report hazardous situations immediately.

Trevor Bell at SL&P said at one point Wednesday night around one-third of the city had no power.

But by 11 a.m. Thursday just about 10 per cent of the city was without power, Bell said.

"Significant winds, significant rain, and I know a fair bit of lightning that came through the city as well. All of those tend to be bad news for electrical utilities and cause trees to bend, snap and sometimes fall onto our lines," Bell said at a news conference Thursday morning.

"We do have a number of customers that have reported that they have trees in their own yard or in a back alley that have fallen over and taken out their service to their own home. But we do have some areas that are affecting bigger areas as well."

Bell said the west side of the city took the brunt of the storm and crews worked overnight through Thursday to restore it.

SaskPower was also working on repairs Thursday morning.

"Our crews were able to get out and respond quickly, but the conditions were severe enough that in some cases they had to come back first thing this morning and start working," Joel Cherry, a spokesperson for SaskPower.

"High winds and lightning can damage transmission and distribution structures directly, but it can also bring trees down on lines. Downed lines are an issue for us in repairs and restoring outages, but they're also a public safety issue."

The Saskatoon Fire Department responded to 34 incidents related to the thunderstorm. It said responders found multiple small fires caused by downed power lines. There were no known injuries to firefighters or civilians.

Rural fire departments were also dispatched in Warman, Osler, Martensville and Dalmeny.

Alex Kozroski is a reporter with CBC News in Regina. He has also worked as a reporter for Golden West Broadcasting in Swift Current, Sask. He can be reached at alex.kozroski@cbc.ca