fortis power outage is a growing concern after wind gusts of 80 to 121 kilometres an hour swept across parts of Alberta on Sunday (ET), tipping semi-trailers, downing trees and ripping whole sections of roofs from buildings. The storm struck Swan Hills hardest, where chunks of the Swan Hills School roof and trusses appear to have been ripped away; Pembina Hills School Division closed the K-12 school on Monday (ET) and moved roughly 200 students to online learning while a structural assessment is carried out. Environment Canada issued wind warnings across most of the province from the Alberta–U. S. boundary to Fort McMurray and into southwestern Saskatchewan (ET).
Fortis Power Outage: Immediate damage and school closure
High winds left visible damage across communities: shingles and entire roof sections torn off, sheds and branches thrown, and semi-trailers tipped. At Swan Hills, storm damage appeared to have compromised roof trusses at the K-12 school, prompting Pembina Hills School Division to close the building on Monday (ET) until inspectors can confirm it is safe. The division also arranged for the school’s roughly 200 students to temporarily shift to online learning while the assessment proceeds.
Environment Canada warns of widespread gusts, provides measurements
Environment Canada tracking showed a broad swath of intense gusts through Alberta on Sunday (ET), with wind speeds in many places rising to about 100 km/h and peaks higher. The strongest recorded gust was 121 km/h in Two Hills, with other peak readings including 116 km/h at Waterton Lakes, 109 km/h at Slave Lake, 107 km/h at Medicine Hat and Vegreville, and 100 km/h at both Lethbridge and Peace River. Environment Canada scientist Christy Climenhaga said the event was driven by a low-pressure system and a cold front that brought widespread, gusty winds and some snowfall in places. She described the event as a larger-scale synoptic system that produced sustained, widespread strong gusts rather than a short-lived thunderstorm gust front.
Immediate reactions and official statements
Christy Climenhaga, Environment Canada scientist, said: “What we saw through Alberta was a low-pressure system and a cold front sweeping through the province, which brought with it very gusty winds — also, some snowfall to certain areas of the province. ” Pembina Hills School Division closed Swan Hills School and announced a structural assessment before reopening; the division arranged for students to continue classes online while inspectors evaluate building safety.
What’s next — warnings and outlook
Environment Canada maintained wind warnings across much of the province on Sunday (ET) and cautioned that a similar wind system may move through later this week (ET). Climenhaga added that any follow-up system is expected to be more active in southern Alberta. Officials and communities remain on alert for further damage, and concerns about a fortis power outage persist while crews monitor downed lines and storm impacts. Residents in affected areas should expect assessments and repairs to continue as authorities confirm safety and restoration timetables (ET).
