Calgary Mayor Nenshi 'shocked by damage' heavy summer snow doing to his city
Digital Reporter
Thursday, September 11, 2014, 9:07 AM -
Cleanup is underway across southern Alberta after not one, but two, rounds of storms lashed the region earlier this week.
In an interview with The Canadian Press, Calgary's Mayor Naheed Nenshi says he is "shocked by damage" heavy summer snow is doing to his city.
He says it could take days or even weeks to clean up the damage from a second major summer snowfall in southern Alberta.
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Fifteen centimetres of heavy, wet snow struck much of southern Alberta again Wednesday, two days after a similar rare September event.
Weather Network camera operator Shawn Legg was in Calgary at the time and said trees were down on almost every block across the city:
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Trees that were uprooted or whose branches snapped caused power outages, including at several major traffic lights resulting in havoc on city roads. Approximately 30,000 customers were without power at the height of the storm.
5.
Getting the power back is complex, as there is some damage.
@enmax working tirelessly, but many customers will not have power tonight.
— Naheed Nenshi (@nenshi) September 11, 2014
Mayor Naheed Nenshi says there is some real damage and the loss of hundreds of mature trees is a shame.
8.
We will soon release details about debris management (operation tree-age).
No fees at landfill now for storm debris, more info to come.
— Naheed Nenshi (@nenshi) September 11, 2014
He says it could be a while before the cleanup is complete and he is urging Calgarians to stagger their commute home in order to reduce congestion on the roads.
In addition to power outages, downed trees and poor road conditions, the summer snow storm was impacting air travel as well.
2.
On safety, if you see trees on lines causing sparks or power lines on the ground or fire, call 911 right away.
This is an emergency.
— Naheed Nenshi (@nenshi) September 11, 2014
Air Canada issued a travel alert for Calgary airport warning travelers to check their flight status before heading to the airport.
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The wet, heavy snow also flattened wheat, barley and some canola crops in parts of province, which produces nearly 40 per cent of Canada’s spring wheat and canola.
While temperatures remain frigid, there is some good news to report.
Temperatures across the province are expected to rebound early next week -- with Calgary forecast to reach a high of 19 ºC on Monday.
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EXTENDED ACTIVE WEATHER COVERAGE: Tune in to The Weather Network for live updates on the summer storms in your area. Our team of reporters and meteorologists in the field provide you with the most accurate and up-to-date coverage.
With files from The Canadian Press
