Once-in-a century weekend storms drenched Whitehorse, but caused little damage

A couple of wild thunderstorms that whipped through Whitehorse on the weekend made a bit of a mess but caused no major damage, according to a city spokesperson.

The first storm on Saturday evening saw winds gusting to about 50 kilometres per hour, and 8.6 millimetres of rain falling in about an hour.

Another storm that tore through on Sunday evening brought equally strong winds and even more rain, with about 23.9 millimetres falling in another short-lived downpour. That's the most precipitation on record for any July 23 in Whitehorse, according to Environment Canada.

The storms toppled trees and caused some temporary power outages.

There was also some temporary flooding in some parts of downtown where storm drains couldn't keep up. Large, deep puddles formed on Sunday in some areas, and a section of Second Avenue was closed for a short time.

"I've lived here all my life. I'm Yukon born. And in all the years that I've lived here, I have never ever seen water come that high," said Jacqueline Shorty who was driving on Second Avenue when the flooding temporarily closed the road.

City spokesperson Oshea Jephson said the downpours swept dirt, gravel and debris into the city's water infrastructure, causing things to back up.

"All of that debris all of a sudden piles up in some of those catch basins, which then hampers the ability of the water to properly drain," he said.

Matt Loney, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, called the amount of rainfall in Whitehorse a "100-year event."

"A 100-year event can also be described as a one-out-of-100 year event, so that there's a one per cent chance that this event would occur each year," Loney said.

According to Jephson, the storm did little lasting damage. All city roads were open as normal on Monday. He also said there was no indication that the storm increased the risk of more landslides along the escarpment.

"The biggest thing that we're focusing on right now is just clearing what debris was left over from both Saturday and Sunday," he said Monday afternoon.

"That includes everything from downed trees to gravel from the intense rainfall to even, at some places, construction debris that flew onto the road." 

Still, Jephson said it was a good reminder for city residents to be ready for emergencies. 

"These kinds of weather events, these sudden weather events, can happen throughout the year and it just again stresses the importance of the 72-hour preparedness kit, and making sure that you're prepared," he said.

The storms also hit other parts of Yukon. A spokesperson from the department of Highways and Public Works said there were reports of fallen trees in Tagish and Marsh Lake, and crews were still clearing debris from the roads in some areas.

"Since we are still assessing for potential damage, we cannot compare it to previous events," said department spokesperson Kalah Klassen in a statement.