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Police manage chaos during weather “event”

Campers and summer villages were evacuated
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RCMP were on scene in the Bashaw area Saturday night due to a ‘weather event.”

During the event, RCMP from Bashaw, Stettler and surrounding detachments informed residents and visitors to the summer villages of Rochon Sands and White sands as well as others camping near Buffalo Lake of a weather event that was occurring. Police asked campers and residents to seek shelter and get off the lake as quickly as possible. The public remained calm and cooperated with police direction.

Police completed their on scene investigation east of Bashaw and found that due to extremely high winds, Calcium Chloride, that occurs naturally along a portion of Hwy 53 east of Bashaw, was made airborne causing reduced visibility in the area. At the time of this weather event, a four-vehicle collision was reported with only minor injuries. No tractor trailer unit was involved and there has been no chemical spill as was originally reported to police.

Environment Canada has not released any information on what exactly the weather event was.