Tornado warning sends people scrambling to safety

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EDMONTON - Had it been a little bit warmer out, ?it could have been a lot uglier,? an Edmonton meteorologist said Wednesday after tornado warnings that sent people scrambling for safety for much of the afternoon were dropped.

A fast-moving thunderstorm produced hail, wind, heavy rains and lightning as it moved through the Capital Region.

The storm also spawned at least one tornado near Pigeon Lake.

The afternoon was ripe for tornadoes because high wind rotation within the storm and cloud bases close to the ground, CTV meteorologist Josh Classen said.

Environment Canada also labelled the storm ?a dangerous and life-threatening situation? and recommended people take cover in a sturdy permanent building or underground.

The storm took shape in southwestern Alberta and increased in severity as it moved toward Edmonton.

Troy Monea was outside his farm near Pigeon Lake shortly after 1 p.m. when he snapped a picture of an apparent tornado on the north side of the lake.

?I?ve seen cold funnels before, but nothing like this,? Monea said. ?This was the biggest one I?ve ever seen.

Based on the photo Monea took, Classen believes the tornado did touch the ground, resulting in a waterspout on the lake. There are typically 10 to 12 tornadoes reported in Alberta each year. Most are in July and August but it is not uncommon to have tornadoes in June.

Classen said the worst part of the storm was heavy downpours and localized flooding.

Chris Ward, manager of drainage services with the City of Edmonton, said the city received 90 reports during and immediately after the storm of flooded roads and popped manhole covers.

Ward said extra crews were called in to deal with the situation Wednesday evening, and are dealing first with the most serious problems, such as flooded catch basins and missing manhole covers.

He said no damage or residential flooding has been reported and he encouraged residents of the city to call 311 to report any storm related problems, such as downed tree branches, flooded trails, or flooded basements.

Liquor International manager Ivan Yousif described the scene on Stony Plain Road as ?crazy,? with water lapping at his door.

He said other businesses in the block got water, but the liquor store stayed dry.

?I got lucky,? he said. ?I was just hoping that it would not go inside the business, and luckily it didn?t. I?ve never seen anything like that before.?

Police asked drivers to stay away from the area around 107th Avenue and 163rd Street after reports that cars and trucks were stalling in the area.

Edmonton Public Schools sent an alert to schools at 3 p.m. warning principals to evaluate the weather before sending kids home, said spokeswoman Jane Sterling.

Edmonton Catholic Schools spokeswoman Lori Nagy didn?t send students home by bus until the tornado warning was lifted.

Both the Catholic and Edmonton Public Schools districts indicated that their responses were unprecedented.

The airport was able to resume regular operations around 4:30 p.m., after being stopped for more than an hour due to lightning warnings. Most flights were subsequently delayed.

With files from Andrea Sands and Jana Pruden

asiekierska@edmontonjournal.com

Twitter.com/alicjawithaj

Source: http://feeds.canada.com/~r/canwest/F264/~3/2ouEJWjqUU0/story.html

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