Two major storms reinforce the importance of outage preparedness
Oct 22, 2026, 21:05 PMTwo severe windstorms swept across FortisAlberta’s service territory on October 14 and 17, requiring large-scale restoration efforts across affected areas.
The October 17 storm brought powerful winds across Alberta, with gusts reaching more than 100km/h throughout parts of our service territory. The winds damaged poles and power lines and brought trees and branches into contact with electrical equipment, contributing to widespread outages.
Restoration across a large part of FortisAlberta’s distribution system was made more complex by continuing winds, difficult terrain and large trees contacting lines or obstructing roadways that required specialized equipment for removal. In some areas, additional safety measures had to be taken before repairs could begin on energized power lines contacting the ground or nearby structures.
Damage to the transmission system also interrupted the supply of electricity to parts of FortisAlberta’s distribution infrastructure.
Multiple crews, contractors and employees working behind the scenes each played their parts in assessing damage, ensuring the safety of the public and one another, and restoring service for our customers. Support was also provided by employees from FortisBC who travelled to Alberta to lend their skills to the restoration effort.
What customers should know
Major storms can damage electrical equipment and create hazardous conditions. They can also make some areas difficult for crews to reach, which may extend restoration times. Customers can take several steps now to be better prepared:
- Keep your contact information current. Confirm that your phone number and email address are up to date with your electricity retailer. FortisAlberta receives customer contact information from retailers and may use it to provide outage notifications and updates.
- Prepare an emergency kit. Have enough water, non-perishable food, medication, flashlights, batteries and other essentials for everyone in your household. Remember to include supplies for pets and livestock.
- Plan for extended, or overnight outages. Consider how an outage that lasts longer than a few hours or lasts through the night could affect medical equipment, well pumps, sump pumps, heating systems, livestock watering and other essential needs.
- Stay away from downed power lines. Always assume a downed or damaged power line is energized. Stay at least 10 metres away, keep others back and call 911 immediately. If you are in a vehicle, stay in your vehicle and call 911.
- Follow trusted outage information. Check FortisAlberta’s outage map and official social media channels (X and Facebook) for updates. During a large event, estimated restoration times may change as crews complete damage assessments and identify the full extent of repairs. Our outage map is updated frequently throughout restoration and provides the most up-to-date restoration times.
The two recent storms reinforced the importance of our emergency planning, which includes clear customer communication and the flexibility to mobilize crews and resources from across the organization.
They also demonstrated the dedication of the employees and contractors working behind the scenes and in the field to restore power as safely and efficiently as possible.
Severe weather can develop quickly. Taking a few simple steps before the next storm can help you protect your family, animals and property while crews work to restore service.
To report an outage, visit https://fortisalberta.com/outages or call our Customer Care Centre at 310-WIRE (9473). If an outage has resulted in a risk to personal or public safety, call 911 immediately.
