Several roads reopen in Edmonton after thunderstorm, high winds

Several roads reopen in Edmonton after thunderstorm, high winds

City says crews are working to clear major corridors

Several major roads are reopening, while others remain closed after a thunderstorm caused flooding in Edmonton.

Access to Yellowhead Trail and Groat Road have been restored after Saturday night's downpour, but parts of Whitemud Drive continue to be closed, according to social media posts from the City of Edmonton.

"We ask Edmontonians to use caution while driving, or using the active transportation system, as City crews and EPCOR crews are working at various sites to clear debris, assess damage and clear water," the city said in a news release Sunday morning.

The city also reported traffic signals being affected by the stormy weather.

Connors Road under the 98 Avenue bridge and 127th Avenue saw flooding after Saturday's rain, but reopened Sunday morning, the city said.

Hourly weather data from Environment Canada shows nearly 30 millimetres of rain fell between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. in the Blatchford area, in central Edmonton on the north side. During that time, wind speeds averaged 39 km/h. The maximum wind speed was 84 km/h.

"Around that 9 o'clock time period, we issued our first warning for the city of Edmonton," Heather Pimiskern, a meteorologist for Environment Canada, told CBC News on Sunday.

"When it hit the city, we saw numerous major roadways flooded, we received reports of sewer backups due to the winds, we saw reports of numerous trees that were knocked down."

As of around 11:30 a.m. Sunday, 19 areas are experiencing power outages, according to Epcor's website. An Epcor spokesperson says these outages are related to the storm and that power is expected to be restored by 1:30 p.m.

Sara is a reporter and editor at CBC News in Edmonton. She is a graduate of NAIT's media communications and production program, and has been a reporter at Taproot Edmonton.