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Red Deer, Alta., has declared a local state of emergency after a series of severe thunderstorms through central Alberta caused significant damage to the region.

Red Deer declares emergency after punishing storms


Digital writers
theweathernetwork.com

Friday, June 23, 2017, 6:29 AM - The Alberta city of Red Deer has been making progress in restoring power to homes and businesses affected by the punishing windstorm that swept the region Tuesday.

The storms formed along Alberta's northern Foothills late Tuesday, initially releasing large hail. As the systems moved eastward, they formed into a line that moved through southern Alberta during the evening hours, producing damaging wind gusts for many areas.

As a result, some 30 per cent of Red Deer's homes and businesses were affected, according to the Calgary Herald. Red Deer declared a state of emergency to allow easier access to aid, and as of Thursday afternoon, only 400 properties remained without power, according to an update from the city.


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Powerful winds took down trees and caused damage to some homes. Image courtesy of Judy Bishop-Pyra.

The storm that left this damage behind was a powerful one.

In a report from Environment Canada, quarter-sized hail was reported in Buck Creek, South of Drayton Valley, at around 3:45 p.m. local time. Loonie and toonie-sized hail were later reported in the areas of Buck Lake and Pigeon Lake.

Peak measured wind gusts reached 124 kilometres per hour in Maskwacis, south of Edmonton and northeast of Red Deer. Generally, wind gusts between 88 km/h and 115 km/h were reported throughout southern and central regions of the province.


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"The powerful winds were the product of one storm in particular," The Weather Network meteorologist Erin Wenckstern says.

"Within this thunderstorm an area of cooler air formed and became too dense for the storm. It then rapidly dropped and spread out along the surface, with nowhere to go but outward. This is what we call an outflow boundary, and this is what was responsible for the widespread wind damage across southern Alberta."

The Weather Network meteorologist Dr. Doug Gillham adds that while you can identify the environments that these types of storms could occur in, for an event to be this intense and widespread is extremely rare.

"What was most striking about this storm was its severity and longevity," Gillham says. "Severe thunderstorms do produce winds of that speed, but they don't usually race out for hundreds of kilometers and continue for hours. This storm went all the way into Montana.

Damaging winds caused power outages in Lacombe County, Clearwater County, Red Deer County, Rimbey, Ponoka, Parkland and Bentley. Crews at Fortis Alberta are continuing to restore power to those in affected regions.

Here's a look at how the storms unfolded on Twitter

With files from Daksha Rangan.

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