Deep sinkhole opens in north Edmonton after intense weekend thunderstorms

A sinkhole as deep as a three-storey building has opened in north Edmonton after intense weekend thunderstorms, forcing road repairs and raising questions about the city's aging drainage infrastructure.

The crater appeared near the intersection of 130 Avenue and 107 Street in the Lauderdale neighbourhood. Workers measured the hole at approximately 12 by 12 feet wide and 35 feet deep.

On Friday around 7:30 p.m., a 45 km/h storm with damaging wind gusts, quarter-sized hail, and heavy rain hit west and north Edmonton. Saturday brought a more severe 60 km/h system capable of triggering a tornado, with conditions so intense drivers sought shelter under freeway overpasses. The massive rainfall downed trees, damaged buildings, and flooded streets and low-lying areas.

EPCOR responded after receiving reports of roadway damage and has cordoned off the area while stabilizing the roadway and repairing a large pipe that conveys flows to the wastewater treatment plant. The utility said the system is designed to manage significant rainfall, but "when exceptionally intense rainfall occurs over a short period of time, particularly following repeated storms and already saturated ground conditions, the volume of water entering the system can temporarily exceed available capacity."

Flood-mitigation work has been underway in Lauderdale for several years. Last fall, the city completed sewer and drainage upgrades in the neighbourhood, though EPCOR said the sinkhole repair is separate from that work.