Winter storm causes major chaos
Mario Prusina – Times Editor
It may not have been the worst winter snowstorm in recent memory, but judging by sheer damage and destruction – it was.
Heavy snow and gusty, high winds wreaked havoc on southeastern Alberta April 14, knocking down power lines and creating treacherous driving conditions.
What makes this storm different is the damage it caused, leaving thousands of people without electricity for quite some time in the southeastern portion of the province. “The damage has been massive in terms of the destruction it has created for our distribution system,” said Jennifer MacGowan, Manager of Corporate Communications for FortisAlberta. “When it’s all said and done, we’re looking at probably 1,000 poles down and several hundred kilometres of wire (knocked down)"
Workers quickly began repairing the lines and restored power to a majority of the population, but because of the damage, thousands of rural residents were left without power for days.
“I was actually talking to one of our power line technicians and he said that he hasn’t seen anything like it in more than 20 years in that area,” said MacGowan. “I guess that there was a storm back in 1986 that may have been of similar magnitude.”
She warned for customers to stay away from fallen power lines.
“We have been encouraging our customers to call our contact centre if they do see downed power lines,” said MacGowan. “They absolutely need to stay away from it in the event that it is energized. We hope not to have any safety hazards.”
She also wanted to thank their loyal clients for their patience and support during the very difficult time.
According to FortisAlberta, unplanned outages may be caused by any number of emergency events or incidences that are beyond their control. These include: storms with wind, ice and snow, or lightning; construction damage; traffic accidents affecting power poles; equipment failures; and even birds and other animals.