Widespread power outages continue in Red Deer, with the local state of emergency still in effect, officials said during a late afternoon press conference Wednesday.

Power is still out in approximately 15% of Red Deer, with the outages expected to continue for up to the next 72 hours in some areas of the City.

Currently, some parts of the following areas are without power – the west half of Riverside Meadows, Village Mall and Highland Green, Grandview and Eastview, Vanier Woods, Riverside Drive area including Lion’s Campground, Westlake and Fort Normandeau.

Some additional small pockets of the City are without power as well. There may be intermittent power outages in other areas for short periods of time, under an hour.

The public is asked to report any outage that lasts longer than two hours by calling 403-342-8111.

“We ask residents to reach out to their neighbours who could be without power for the next 72 hours” said Paul Goranson, emergency manager director/operations director. “This includes anything from helping cleaning up fallen debris, charging phones or offering space in your freezer.”

If you are without power, residents are welcome to access four recreation facilities (Collicutt Centre, G.H. Dawe Community Centre, Recreation Centre and Michener Aquatic Centre). There is WIFI, and outlets to charge cell phones.

Meanwhile, some intersections are still without power or have flashing traffic lights. Motorists are asked to approach all intersections with caution. And as some areas of Ross Street are closed, when entering the downtown westbound on Ross Street, detour at 40th Ave. north to 55th St. or south to 39 St.

For exiting the downtown core, choose routes other than Ross Street at this time. Officials expect Ross Street to open later Wednesday night.

Trails and parks within the Waskasoo Park system are closed, with exception of River Bend Golf and Recreation Area, however, the pitch and putt area is closed. Discovery Canyon is open, Oxbows Dog Off Leash Park is open and Great Chief Park is open as well.

In addition, there may be some scheduled events or activities that need to be cancelled; however, officials said they do not yet know what that looks like just yet. They said they will continue to update groups that have scheduled activities where they are impacted.

Residents can get up-to-date information on the City’s web site at www.reddeer.ca, by calling 403-342-8111 during this event or by following them on facebook and Twitter.

Call 211 or 403-342-1111 if you require assistance is needed as a result of the power outage.

This morning, the City of Red Deer declared a local state of emergency in response to power outages and fallen debris across Red Deer. The state of emergency gives the City access to additional resources, including personnel, from other orders of government if required.

The last state of emergency was declared in Red Deer four years ago to the date on June 20th, 2013 due to flooding. The current local state of emergency will remain in effect for one week unless it is terminated early.

During the storm, winds peaked at 112 km/hr, officials told media at a press conference Wednesday morning.

Power outages were recorded in 30% of the City at one point Tuesday evening. Two of the hardest hit areas in the City included Vanier Woods where 12 power poles came down and in the area behind Village Mall where a number of power lines were down.

As well, one person was injured during the storm at the Lion’s Campground but was treated and released from hospital.

City crews spent the night assessing the damage as a result of the windstorm and triaging work, dealing with major safety issues first. Red Deer County, the Town of Penhold and contractors provided assistance since early Tuesday evening to help get power back on and clean up the City.

To report downed trees, power outages or other issues related to the storm, call 403-342-8111. To report property damage, contact your insurance provider. In case of an emergency, call 911.

To clear downed trees from private property, hire a Certified Arborist. The Edgar Snow Storage Site (6859 Edgar Industrial Dr.) is open for residents to drop off tree debris. Site is open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.