PENHOLD - A lightning strike from a late spring storm cutting across Central Alberta with high winds and rain knocked out the power from more than half of the town's homes and businesses during the early morning hours of June 9.
Even with local emergency crews and FortisAlberta quickly responding, the power was not fully restored for at least six hours.
Jim Pendergast, the town's fire chief, said emergency crews were called to fallen power lines along Lucina and Emma streets, as well as along Highway 2A, at about 3:40 a.m. on June 9 after the lightning strike. He said it appeared the lightning strike disabled electrical equipment on a pole near a business on Emma Street.
"For a while it was about half (of the town) that was without power and Fortis had to shut the power off the whole town to be able to start fixing the problem and start restoring it," said Pendergast, adding the entire town was without power for about an hour. "What they (FortisAlberta) ended up having to do was replacing the power line between five poles on Lucina."
While FortisAlberta crews replaced the power lines, Lucina Street residents were warned not to go into their backyards or the alley until the situation was safely handled, said Pendergast, adding Lucina Street was blocked off at Maplewood Boulevard and at Waskasoo Avenue. He said Waskasoo Avenue was also blocked off at Hawkridge Boulevard. Pendergast said one resident did suffer from medical distress due to the power outage disrupting medication equipment.
Penhold emergency crews were called off the power line repair scenes as of 8:20 a.m. Pendergast said full power was restored to the town by about 10 a.m.
Jim Pendergast, Penhold fire chief
"For a while it was about half (of the town) that was without power and Fortis had to shut the power off the whole town to be able to start fixing the problem and start restoring it."
