A powerful tornado tore through central Alberta on Saturday afternoon, causing destruction to homes and livestock, but fortunately, there have been no serious injuries reported thus far. The severe weather event prompted Environment and Climate Change Canada to issue a tornado warning at 1:50 p.m. local time. Meteorologists were closely monitoring a severe thunderstorm in Mountain View County, which was producing the tornado near Didsbury, Alberta.
According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), there were numerous reports of a large tornado in the county along Highway 2 at Highway 581. The tornado, estimated to be one to two kilometers wide, caused significant damage to several homes. Initially, there were reports of injuries, but Corporal Gina Slaney later confirmed that no injuries had been reported at that time. The tornado warning was eventually lifted.
Dean Allan, the deputy mayor of Carstairs, revealed that the tornado passed between Didsbury and Carstairs, resulting in damage to 12 homes. Fortunately, there were no fatalities, although some individuals sustained minor injuries. In addition to the homes, there was also unfortunate loss of livestock. Despite the devastation, Allan stated, “All in all, everything went well, or as good as can be for something like that.”
Carstairs fire chief Jordan Schaffer shared that five homes were completely destroyed, including one where a woman had to be rescued from her basement. Thankfully, she was safely extracted without sustaining any injuries. Schaffer described the complete destruction of the house, saying, “The house was 100 percent gone.”
Lisa Arrowsmith, a former Canadian Press reporter, recounted her harrowing experience while driving with her husband south on Highway 2 towards Calgary. They noticed the sky darkening and saw a large funnel cloud to their right. With limited options on the divided highway, Arrowsmith made the split-second decision to accelerate and attempt to outrun the tornado. Fortunately, they managed to escape the storm’s path after enduring hail damage to their vehicle. Arrowsmith expressed her fear, remarking, “It was very frightening to think maybe you were going to get caught on the highway with nowhere to hide and nowhere to seek shelter.”
Storm chaser Aaron Jayjack captured video footage of the tornado near Didsbury crossing a highway, causing damage to two rural homes on either side. In the video, he desperately called out to anyone inside the affected homes but was unable to reach them due to downed utility lines blocking the driveway. Electricity provider Fortis Alberta reported outages in both Didsbury and Carstairs. Tanya Croft, a spokeswoman for the utility, informed the public that crews were still assessing the damage, but power had been restored to most areas.
In response to the disaster, the Town of Carstairs posted on Facebook about water-use restrictions that were implemented due to the electricity outage. The restrictions would remain in effect until electricity was fully restored. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his concern on Twitter, sending a message of support to those injured or affected by the tornado. He assured them that Canadians were there for them and urged everyone to stay safe as officials continued to monitor the situation.
In conclusion, the tornado in central Alberta brought significant destruction to homes and livestock, but thankfully, there were no serious injuries reported. The affected communities are working together to assess the damage and restore essential services to those affected by the storm.
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