Darren Charron is in the process of cleaning up the remnants of his mobile home following a windstorm that swept through parts of southern Manitoba last Thursday.
Living near Russell in the southwestern region of Manitoba, Charron witnessed his roof being lifted off by the strong winds. The force of the storm caused debris to scatter across his property and neighboring fields, creating a sound akin to a freight train passing through.
As the walls of his mobile home began to bow outwards, Charron hurried to reinforce them to prevent a collapse. The situation worsened as rain started seeping into the damaged structure, prompting him to use a squeegee to clear the water indoors.
Despite feeling mentally unprepared to evacuate, Charron decided to stay inside. Exhausted, he eventually fell asleep but woke up in a panic as the winds intensified, shaking the entire structure.
Upon venturing outside the next morning, Charron was confronted with the full extent of the damage. The scene resembled the aftermath of an explosion, with debris scattered everywhere. Although his mobile home, dating back to the 1970s, was not insurable due to its age, Charron, who works as a contractor, is now facing substantial repair costs for both materials and lost belongings.
Meanwhile, Manitoba Hydro crews are grappling with numerous power outages across the province, affecting approximately 6,000 customers as of Friday morning. The utility company’s spokesperson, Peter Chura, indicated that efforts are underway to restore power, but the sheer volume of outages necessitates time for resolution.
The windstorm, which also caused reduced visibility due to blowing dust, led to the closure of Minto School south of Brandon. Chura highlighted that many outages were a result of trees or branches falling onto power lines, with some instances involving entire poles being toppled by the strong winds.
In Brandon, the windstorm knocked down the steel frame supporting the Hi-Way Esso station sign along the Trans-Canada Highway at 18th Street. The manager, David McLean, noted that the sign’s structural integrity was compromised, potentially rendering it irreparable.
Environment and Climate Change Canada reported wind gusts exceeding 100 km/h in several areas, with Deloraine recording the highest at 119 km/h. The agency issued a wind warning for Winnipeg on Friday morning, cautioning residents to secure loose objects as high winds persisted.
In the northern part of the province, winter conditions have returned, with freezing rain warnings in effect for the Split Lake and York Landing region. Further north, heavy snowfall is expected under a winter storm warning, with accumulations of 10 to 15 centimeters forecasted before the storm subsides.
Overall, the windstorm’s impact on Manitoba has been significant, prompting extensive cleanup efforts and precautionary measures to address the aftermath of the destructive weather event.