High winds knock over four semis

Warning • Strong gusts knocked over four semis in southern Alberta Tuesday morning as parts of the province were briefly under an Environment Canada wind warning.

Officers and emergency crews from Crowsnest Pass were dispatched to Highway 22 about 10 to 15 kilometres north of Highway 3 at around 10 a.m.

The gusts were so strong, officers had difficulty standing on the road, according to an RCMP news release.

Some occupants of the semis received minor injuries.

Parts of southwest Alberta, particularly the Crowsnest Pass and Pincher Creek area, were under an Environment Canada wind warning with westerly gusts nearing 100 km/h.

Bill McMurtry, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, said Waterton and Pincher Creek recorded gusts nearing 100 km/h Tuesday morning, while Crowsnest Pass saw winds reaching up to nearly 80 km/h.

While those were the highest gusts recorded, he expects there were wind speeds of 100 to 110 km/h.

“When we start to see things like semis flipping over, typically that’s when we see wind gusts approaching or exceeding 100 km/h,” he said.

AMA spokesman Don Szarko said semi drivers are professionals who have driven in all sorts of weather conditions, but sometimes one unexpected gust can send large vehicles into the ditch.