Roofs, trees, grain bins destroyed by raging winds

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Published: January 24, 2014

Wind toppled trees, downed power lines, blew semi-trailers off the road and generally wreaked havoc on the Prairies Jan. 15.

Gusts were clocked at up to 117 km-h in Prince Albert, Sask., and Saskatoon.

All three prairie provinces were under a wind warning throughout the day. The winds also blew exceptionally warm air for this time of year into the region, resulting in icy roads and blowing snow.

At Plenty, Sask., the wind lifted a bin off the ground and onto a semi-trailer unit.

Owner John Dipple said he was at the Crop Production Show in Sask-atoon when it happened. The trailer was damaged but the truck was OK. The bin was expendable, he added. “That was one of the very few empty bins in the yard,” he said.

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He talked to a few others in the area but said no one else experienced any damage.

A school bus with seven students on board went off a grid road near Biggar, Sask., because of road conditions. No one was hurt.

The roof from a hotel in Foam Lake, Sask. was ripped away, and many reported lost shingles.

RCMP warned drivers to stay off highways in Alberta, while blowing snow was a problem in Manitoba.

About the author

Karen Briere

Karen Briere

Karen Briere grew up in Canora, Sask. where her family had a grain and cattle operation. She has a degree in journalism from the University of Regina and has spent more than 30 years covering agriculture from the Western Producer’s Regina bureau.

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