One of the effects of the heavy winds Thursday was the damage to trees including fallen branches around the community. (Submitted photo/Kelly Bitner)

By Martin Martinson

Storm Aftermath

Strong storm winds felt in Battlefords, throughout region Thursday evening

Jul 23, 2021 | 12:29 PM

It was an extremely windy night in the Battlefords, and across the region Thursday that included sporadic power outages, heavy wind gusts and even the odd tree tipped over.

With north northwest wind gusts maxing out at 102 km/h in the Battlefords community, the effects of the wind storm were left visible Friday morning, though perhaps not as bad as they could have been, considering the severity of the weather.

North Battleford

City of North Battleford Fire Chief, Lindsay Holm said while the winds were undoubtedly harsh, the fire department received just a single call that required assistance on the evening: a powerline that had tipped over when struck by a fallen tree around the 1900 block of 106^th Street.

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“We did experience some extreme winds and there were a few fairly sizable trees that were taken down due to the wind, but I think all in all the city faired really well in terms of avoiding damage from the storm,” Holm said. “I think some of the other surrounding communities may not have been as lucky.”

Holm also said there were no injuries reported from trees or the powerline falling, or other happenings due to the severe wind in the community.

Battleford

Across the bridge, Town of Battleford CAO, Ash Alam said the town saw six trees fall, including three at the campground, and two more near St. Vital Church, including one that fell up against the Church roof.

Alam said while the damage is not as bad as it could have been, the town is encouraging residents to keep an eye out throughout the coming days for possible loose or broken branches overhead.

“People should definitely look into their trees and make sure there’s no lose branches or anything hanging or dangling just for the safety of all; it never hurts to check on stuff like that,” he said.

Environment Canada’s Terri Lang said with many enjoying the lake or camping opportunities this time of year, it’s important to stay up to date with current weather warnings as they happen, especially as it is currently storm season in the province.

“Conditions like last night are particularly dangerous when camping or out on the lakes, so knowing ahead of time is important,” Lang said. “Fortunately we were well prepared last night as watches and warnings had come out, so people had time to prepare a little bit and make sure they were ready for what might be ahead.”

North Battleford residents can report any further storm damages, should they become apparent in the coming days, at the city of North Battleford website through filling out a Service Request Form.

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1