Homes damaged after tornado touches down in western Canada
A destructive tornado developed Thursday afternoon in the Canadian province of Alberta and left some residents reeling in a rural area of Mountain View County roughly 58 miles (93 km) north of Calgary.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) reported that at least four homes sustained damage from a tornado that swept just southeast of Sundre, Alberta, while one residence was entirely demolished from the violent storms, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. In an initial report, the RCMP stated that up to nine structures were affected by the storms.
An active storm track moved northeastward across parts of eastern Washington, Idaho and Montana during Thursday afternoon and evening before redeveloping on the leeward side of the Canadian Rockies in southern Alberta. Numerous hail reports were received on Thursday from parts of western Montana as the storms transitioned northward into Canada.
Storms began to intensify roughly 10 miles (16 km) south of Sundre around the town of Shantz during the early afternoon.
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"Between 1 and 2 p.m. MDT, storms fired northwest of Calgary. By 3 p.m., thunderstorms became more numerous and more intense, bringing heavy downpours, damaging wind gusts and hail to the Sundre region and counties northwest of Calgary," explained AccuWeather Meteorologist Nicole LoBiondo.
Environment Canada issued a critical alert for a possible tornado at 2:39 p.m. MDT Thursday. The warning stated that a "rotating severe thunderstorm that is possibly producing a tornado is located near Sundre and is nearly stationary." Officials instructed residents to seek shelter immediately.
Footage showed damaged telephone poles, toppled trees and damaged structures later Thursday as vehicles patrolled the impacted areas. Snapped branches were scattered along the side of the roadway as the passerby evaluated the destruction. Video also captured hailstones striking the windshield and roof of the vehicle.
The RCMP reported that one person sustained a minor injury when returning to their residence following the storms. The RCMP stated that a piece of debris fell and the resident sustained a minor cut.
The Mountain View County Reeve, Angela Aalbers, explained that members of the Sundre Fire Department, county peace officers and RCMP worked together to clear trees and debris from the affected area on Thursday, the CBC reported.
The tornado has not yet been given a rating from Environmental Canada; however, officials are in the process of conducting a storm damage survey across the region. Hail reports listed in the preliminary weather summary ranged in size from nickel sized (0.80 in, 2.1 cm) to hen egg sized (2.0 in, 5 cm), according to Environment Canada.
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Jason Kenney, the Premier of Alberta, posted his concern for the families affected by the tornado on social media.
Earlier in the week, on July 5, three tornadoes were confirmed across southern Alberta in the towns of Consort, Alliance and Neutral Hills. All three tornadoes were given a preliminary rating of EF0 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale and the associated storms reportedly produced hail as large as golf balls in locations south of Coronation, Alberta. Tornadoes characterized as EF0 can produce winds ranging between 65 and 85 mph (105 and 137 km/h).
"Tornadoes are not uncommon in certain parts of southern Canada, particularly on the eastern sides of the Canadian Rockies. With a southerly flow against the edge of the higher terrain and prime conditions, storms can readily erupt across the region," explained LoBiondo.
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