Update
The hiker who was originally reported missing has been located and is in good health.
Environment Canada has sent crews to the area to do more investigating in trying to determine whether it was a tornado that struck the park on Saturday.
Original Story
It is still not known if a tornado or a plough wind is responsible after a storm hit Meadow Lake Provincial Park late Saturday afternoon virtually destroying two campgrounds.
On Sunday afternoon with information still trickling in, the Saskatchewan government released the following statement on what they know.
Yesterday evening a severe weather event impacted the Meadow Lake area.
Emergency management personnel from the Ministry of Government Relations were mobilized to co-ordinate emergency response with the RCMP, the Saskatchewan Health Authority, paramedics and others. Emergency responders answered multiple requests for assistance in the area, particularly at Murray Doell Campground where severe wind took down large swathes of trees.
At this time we can confirm that three individuals sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to local hospitals for treatment by STARS, EMS, and personal vehicle.
RCMP is coordinating a search and rescue effort for an unaccounted for hiker and will have an update for the media and public shortly. If any individuals have family or friends that were in the area and are unaccounted for, please inform the RCMP immediately by contacting 9-1-1.
Responding agencies continue to canvas the area for anyone needing assistance and are now focusing on cleanup efforts to clear roadways and access points. We would like to thank all first responders and on-site personnel for their exemplary work in addressing the situation immediately.
Campers evacuated from the impacted campgrounds, specifically Murray Doell Campground, are currently at a local emergency shelter where they have access to food, water and first aid as required. Sask Parks is in the process of identifying trailers, boats, campers, and personal property that can be successfully removed from Murray Doell Campground and will be working with evacuated campers in the hours ahead to recover camping items where safe to do so. For information on camping items left behind, please call 306-236-7680.
We encourage those in the area to be cautious and prioritize safety. We ask members of the public to avoid travelling to impacted areas and allow the authorities to focus on making the area safe as trees left standing may not be secure. SaskPower has turned off power to the impacted areas and are patrolling their lines to assess impacts to their infrastructure.
Environment Canada’s Dan Fulton says they should know by the end of the day Sunday as to whether or not a tornado was responsible. Anyone with pictures or videos of the event are asked to submit them by calling 1-800-239-0484, emailing them at skstorm@canada.ca or by tweeting using the hashtag #skstorm.
