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Whipping winds damaged an indoor sports complex in Red Deer, Alta., Thursday afternoon, forcing the facility to be evacuated.
No injuries were reported at The Dome, said Simoi Cruickshank, a spokesperson for Red Deer County, a municipality about 180 kilometres south of Edmonton.
Steve Beres, who works nearby, told CBC News he heard a “big bang” from The Dome just before noon.
“We just saw the backside blowing around and starts deflating,” he said.
The damage to the complex comes after Environment Canada issued multiple wind and rainfall warnings for communities across northern, central and southeastern Alberta, including Red Deer.
Strong northwest winds with gusts of 90 to 100 km/h are occurring in the region, according to Environment Canada, but they’re expected to weaken Thursday evening.
The agency warns roofs, fences, tree branches and soft shelters could get damaged as a result.
No injuries were reported at Red Deer sports complex, The Dome, according to a spokesperson for Red Deer County on May 14. (Nadeer Hashmi/CBC)
Cruickshank said the county is unsure of the exact reason for the damage, though The Dome attributes the destruction to these high winds.
The Dome, which has an inflatable roof, is closed until further notice and is awaiting assessments to determine when repairs can take place, according to a post on one of its social media accounts.
Emergency crews were at the scene just before 1 p.m., and had cleared just over an hour later, said Cruickshank.