Severe winds wreak havoc on southern Manitoba

Some Manitobans are cleaning up Sunday morning, after intense winds barreled through southern parts of the province Saturday.

Pierson Pumpkin Patch, located southwest of Pierson, Man., said in a Facebook post it’ll be closed this weekend after the wind destroyed their corn mazes.

“We will decide about the rest of the season after clean up,” it wrote in the post.

Damage after severe winds rocked Pierson Pumpkin Patch. Uploaded Oct. 5, 2024. (Pierson Pumpkin Patch/Facebook)

According to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), southwestern Manitoba got hit the hardest. Brandon, Man., saw wind gusts of 94 kilometres per hour, while Deerwood, Man., reported gusts of 93 km/h.

“The winds were pretty widespread, but the damaging winds were in that area,” ECCC meteorologist Shannon Moodie told CTV News.

Near Melita, Man., the wind tore off the roof of Medora School, a historic site last operated in the 1970s.

The wind tore off part of the roof of Medora School near Melita, Man. Uploaded on Oct. 5, 2024. (Aaron Vanbeselaere/Facebook)

In Winnipeg’s River Heights neighbourhood, the wind knocked down multiple power lines, causing major outages for Manitoba Hydro customers.

On Sunday, some people were still in the dark. In a post on X, the Crown corporation said crews were working to restore power but there was no estimate for when things would be back up and running.

“We understand many of you have been without power for an extended time and that it’s uncomfortable,” Manitoba Hydro wrote in another post. “Know we are working as quickly (and) as safely as possible to restore your service. Your patience is appreciated.”

Future forecast

While some parts of southern Manitoba could see some more wind Sunday, Moodie said it won’t be anything like the day before. 

“The system was very fast moving, and it’s now moved into Ontario. So with that, the winds have have died down,” she said.