Powerful storm floods Edmonton roads, closes facilities and damages trees
Heavy rain and strong winds struck Friday evening, closing Yellowhead Trail, damaging city facilities and prompting multiple recreation centre closures.
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Update — July 24, 2026: A section of 137th Avenue over Horseshoe Creek in northwest Edmonton collapsed due to erosion from heavy rain, cutting off one of only two entrances to the Starling and Trumpeter neighbourhoods and hampering emergency vehicle access. The collapse resulted from water flowing through an undersized culvert with no overflow mechanism, a problem that had been flagged to city officials and Epcor three years prior. The city is working on a long-term repair strategy to reopen the road.
A powerful storm swept through Edmonton on Friday evening around 8 p.m., bringing heavy rain and strong winds that caused localized flooding, road closures and damage across the city.
Yellowhead Trail under the CN overpass at 82 Street remained closed Saturday as crews cleared floodwater. A Whitemud Drive off-ramp between 170 Street and 178 Street was also closed due to roadway damage, while lane closures were in place on 111 Avenue near 158 Street and 118 Avenue near 149 Street. The storm downed trees, damaged traffic signal poles and caused widespread debris.
Several major city facilities were impacted. Telus World of Science, the Peter Hemingway Aquatic Centre and the Heritage Amphitheatre remained closed Saturday. The Grand Trunk Fitness and Leisure Centre's main pool was closed because of flooding, though Commonwealth Recreation Centre reopened after temporarily closing Friday evening. The city also reported broken LRT crossing arms and localized flooding at active construction sites.
City crews and EPCOR workers continued clearing debris and assessing damage Saturday. Residents were encouraged to report storm-related damage to public property through 311 and to check facility websites for updates as repairs proceed.
