© Covy Moore/Rocky View PublishingBeiseker's Jim Fox survived two near-misses during the Nov. 27 wind storm that blew through the County causing damage to buildings, trees and homes. Two buildings lost their roofs in the village, including the fire hall.
Wind speeds reaching close to 100 km/h ripped the roofs off several buildings, brought down power lines and sent debris flying in the village.
The Beiseker Fire Station lost its corrugated metal roof in the early afternoon, according to local firefighter Jim Fox.
"It was really scary," he said. "I have never seen wind like that before, it was more like a hurricane."
Fox, the lieutenant in charge at the fire station at the time, was preparing a second crew to assist at a Linden-area grass fire when he heard a horrifying sound.
"All of a sudden, I opened the door and (the roof) peeled up and flew off and landed right in front of me," said Fox. "It was like a freight train coming through."
Resident Fred Walters also lost a portion of his roof.
The Walters were in Airdrie when it happened, arriving home to a missing roof, but took the event in stride.
"It happens," said Walters, a Town councillor. "It is an act of God, there is nothing you can do about it."
Fox said he witnessed the damage being done to the private home.
"The roof... flew off when I was walking by," he said. "It took the power line out like a butter knife."
Shaken, Fox said he felt lucky to be unharmed.
"When I finally got home that night, I grabbed my kids and held them tight," he said.
Three large Dynagra grain bins were also knocked down in the storm and a Beiseker body shop's roof peeled up, barely staying in place. Two other power lines were knocked down.
According to Mayor Bruce Rowe the community has banded together to ensure the station is operable. Resident Mike Richter and local business, Cartel Energy Services Inc., provided room to house the department's equipment.
"They are really pulling together," said Rowe, adding the station's roof will be fixed as soon as possible with the funds coming from insurance.
The town of Irricana was also hit with the storm, although the damage wasn't as severe.
"There was damage to roof shingles on private residences," said Town staffer Patty Malthouse. "A lot of older, bigger trees had branches down and were broken."
A falling tree knocked down a light pole near the curling rink, but no one was hurt and there was no damage to Town buildings.
"Things were blowing around," said Malthouse. "It felt almost like gale force winds that we had never experienced before."
Malthouse said there were reports of items lost from backyards, such as a playhouse and slide, as well as siding ripping off of buildings.
"It was unusual," she said.
Crossfield resident Dawn Cuthbertson said her town also experienced damage, fallen trees and damage to private residences and store fronts.
Power was also knocked out in the evening.
"A few homes really got hit hard, so they have some very severe damage," she said.
"It was the worst wind that I have ever seen and I have lived here for 10 years. It was extreme weather and it snuck up on us and lasted all day so the houses were being pummelled for eight hours."
Mayor Nathan Anderson said the fire department received about 40 wind-related calls, and close to 30 trees went down.
"It was gale-force winds," said Anderson. "It was relentless, it wouldn't let up."
The winds wreaked havoc in other communities in southern Alberta.
Alberta Sheriff Jason Graw said the Airdrie Integrated Traffic Unit attended three scenes where semi trucks were blown over along Highway 2 between 12:15 and 2 p.m. No injuries were reported.
The RCMP responded to 11 wind-related calls between noon and 5 p.m., including traffic hazards like signs blowing onto the highway.
"The message to the public would be that during extreme weather, driving on Highway 2 is not advised unless absolutely necessary," said Graw.
On Nov. 27, Environment Canada issued a warning, stating gusts could reach 90 km/h in Airdrie. It said the high winds were caused by "a strong pressure gradient" that developed over the region "as a result of a low pressure system..."
According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) most of the damage, including broken windows, will be covered if comprehensive coverage has been purchased.
"The good news is that most wind damage should be covered by insurance. Consumers whose property was affected by the storm should contact their insurance representative as soon as possible to start the claims process," said Doug Noble, vice-president, Alberta, IBC.
FortisAlberta activated its emergency response plan to address the widespread pockets of power outages in southern Alberta resulting from the windstorm.
There were multiple downed poles and wires in widespread pockets throughout southern Alberta, including Okotoks, High River, Vulcan, Coaldale, Milk River, Claresholm, and areas west of Lethbridge. Additional crews and equipment from Lacombe, Sherwood Park, Fort Saskatchewan, Drayton Valley, Spruce Grove, St. Albert, Red Deer, Brooks, Strathmore, Airdrie, Pincher Creek, Redcliff and Taber were dispatched to fix the damage.
At the peak of the storm, up to 20,000 Fortis customers were without power.
Reader Comments
to our Newsletter