Update: SASKATCHEWAN — Strong winds sweeping across the province continued to cause widespread SaskPower outages Thursday afternoon, leaving thousands of customers without electricity in Regina and communities across southern Saskatchewan.
As of about 4:40 p.m. May 14, SaskPower crews were responding to numerous unplanned outages tied largely to wind damage, damaged transmission structures and hazardous working conditions.
In Regina, outages affected number of neighbourhoods including Cathedral, Coronation Park, Crescents, Lakeview, Normanview, Rosemont, Rochdale Park, Walsh Acres, Skyview, Hawkstone, Lakeridge, River Heights, Dominion Heights, Washington Park and Windsor Place. Surrounding communities and resort areas including White City, Emerald Park, Craven, Regina Beach, Lumsden, Strasbourg and Last Mountain Lake areas were also impacted.
Additional outages were reported Thursday afternoon in The Greens, Windsor Park, River Bend, Gardiner Heights and Wood Meadows, along with Pilot Butte and Emerald Park. SaskPower said crews had been dispatched and were investigating causes and restoration times.
In southwest Saskatchewan, some of the most severe outages remained around Eastend, Consul, Claydon and Robsart, where damaged transmission structures and dangerous winds delayed repairs. SaskPower said power was not expected to be restored before late Friday afternoon in some areas.
Other outages were reported in and around Weyburn, Radville, Midale, Moose Jaw, Tisdale, Carlyle, Gainsborough, Kipling, Piapot First Nation, Bethune and Chamberlain.
In Weyburn, SaskPower said crews were unable to safely remove a tree from a power line because of strong winds near 7th Avenue Southeast and Railway Avenue. No restoration time had been provided as of Thursday afternoon.
Meanwhile, emergency repairs near Esterhazy resulted in a planned outage Thursday afternoon affecting Atwater and surrounding rural areas while crews repaired a damaged crossarm.
Environment Canada had issued multiple wind and blowing dust advisories across southern Saskatchewan, warning gusts could exceed 100 km/h in some regions.
SaskPower advised residents to stay clear of downed power lines and continue checking outage updates as conditions evolve.
