Thunderstorm, flooding keeps Calgary crews busy

The fire department says emergency calls about lightning strikes and flooding came in about every two minutes during the height of the rumbler.

The storm also set off alarms in multiple buildings and each needed to be investigated by crews.

A construction office was severely damaged by a fire possibly caused by a lightning strike, but no injuries were reported.

Lightning is also believed to have hit a gas line and meter at a house in the city’s northeast.

Two homes were evacuated as a precaution, but crews quickly shut off the gas before a fire could start.

The storm brought with it hail that blanketed front lawns, as well as heavy rain that caused flash flooding, power outages and transit delays.

A spokeswoman for Enmax said the utility provider also received a lot of calls over a short time.

“We experienced a momentary outage … that (affected) about 3,100 customers … but the power came back on fairly quickly,” said Doris Kauffman Woodcock.