On a Thursday in early July, a storm system swept across central and southern Alberta, and near the small community of Sundre it tore through the lives of ordinary households. One home was flattened and four more were badly damaged, yet no one was seriously hurt, a fact that many of the affected residents seem to regard as close to a miracle. The event sits within a season that the prairies have long known, when summer heat builds into violent weather, and it reminds those who live under open skies how quickly the familiar can be undone.
Alberta communities clean up after tornado and storms flatten homes and topple trees south of Sundre
One person suffered minor injuries, and a landowner west of Bergen, Alberta, lost trees, a tractor tent and horse shelters while his animals were on the property.
"Everyone's safe, no one's hurt. The house is still standing."
Mark
Five homes hit southeast of Sundre, and nobody seriously hurt. Why does that stand out?
Mimi
Because one house was flattened outright. Persaud's own words were that everyone's safe and the house is still standing, and he can't explain why.
Luke
Worth saying what's confirmed: Mounties reported one home flattened, four seriously damaged, and one minor injury. The "war zone" description is Persaud's own impression, not an official assessment.
Mark
And his losses?
Mimi
Trees, a tractor tent, horse shelters. Practical things that a rural property depends on, and his animals were the only ones there.
Luke
We don't have a cost estimate or a count of damaged buildings beyond those five homes. That's unknown.
Mark
Is this unusual for Alberta?
Mimi
Brittain says the province is entering peak tornado season, through July, and averages about 15 tornadoes a year.
Luke
That's one forecaster's typical figure, and the article doesn't say how many touched down Thursday or whether the Sundre event is confirmed at a particular strength.
Mark
What should readers watch?
Mimi
Thunderstorm watches were still active Friday morning for Airdrie, Sundre and Cochrane.
Luke
And that status was as of 10:30 a.m. Friday; it may have changed since.
Il Polso
- A tornado flattened one home and seriously damaged four others southeast of Sundre, leaving families staring at wreckage.
- Trees lie down across rural land near Bergen, and a tractor tent and horse shelters were torn away while animals stood unharmed.
- Police confirm no one was seriously hurt, though one person suffered minor injuries, and the relief is tangled with shock.
- Thunderstorm watches still hang over Airdrie, Sundre and Cochrane as peak tornado season runs through July, so the threat is not yet over.
- Cleanup has only just begun, and the hardest-hit households face a long, exhausting stretch of rebuilding.
On a Thursday in early July, a storm system swept across central and southern Alberta, and near the small community of Sundre it tore through the lives of ordinary households. One home was flattened and four more were badly damaged, yet no one was seriously hurt, a fact that many of the affected residents seem to regard as close to a miracle. The event sits within a season that the prairies have long known, when summer heat builds into violent weather, and it reminds those who live under open skies how quickly the familiar can be undone.
Neran Persaud lives on land west of Bergen, Alberta, and a day after Thursday's storm he was still struggling to find words for what had happened. It felt like a dream, or a nightmare, he said, and his property looked like a war zone. Trees were down, his tractor tent was gone, and his horse shelters had been blown away. His animals had been on the property when the storm hit, and their safety was his first concern.
Still, Persaud said he felt like the luckiest man alive. Everyone was safe, nobody was hurt, and the house was still standing. He could not fully explain why, but it felt as though someone had been watching over him.
Some neighbours fared far worse. Mounties said a tornado flattened one home and seriously damaged four others southeast of Sundre as storms moved through southern Alberta. Police reported no serious injuries, though one person had minor hurts. Thomas Morgan, who lives nearby, watched a dark cloud swell into a massive formation that brought heavy rain. He went out that night to survey the damage and called it incredible. "Lots of work for people to do now," he said.
Alberta is entering its peak tornado season, which usually runs through July and brings about 15 tornadoes a year, as The Weather Network's Kyle Brittain has noted. By Friday morning most warnings had been lifted, but thunderstorm watches remained for Airdrie, Sundre and Cochrane. The storm has passed, but the work of recovery is only beginning.
Neran Persaud lives on land west of Bergen, Alberta, and a day after the storm he was still struggling to describe it. It felt unreal to him, he said, like a dream, or a nightmare. Thursday's violent weather had left his property looking, in his words, like a war zone.
The damage he listed was specific. The trees on his land are down. His tractor tent was blown away, and so were his horse shelters. "What else can I say?" he asked. Only his animals were on the property when the storm hit, and their safety was his main worry.
Despite the losses, Persaud said he feels like the luckiest man alive. Everyone is safe, no one is hurt, and the house is still standing. He said he couldn't explain how that could be, and that it felt as if somebody was looking out for him.
Elsewhere in the region the damage was worse for some households. Mounties said a tornado flattened one home and seriously damaged four others southeast of Sundre, as thunderstorms and tornadoes moved through southern Alberta on Thursday. Police said no one was seriously hurt, though one person suffered minor injuries.
Thomas Morgan, who also lives in the area, said he saw a big old black cloud on Thursday that grew into a massive formation and brought pouring rain. He went out that night to look at the damage and called it incredible. "Lots of work for people to do now," he said.
Kyle Brittain, the Alberta bureau chief for The Weather Network, had told CBC News that the province is moving into peak tornado season, which tends to run through July. Alberta usually sees about 15 tornadoes a year. Brittain's photos of flattened trees after Thursday's weather documented the aftermath across the province.
Environment Canada issued a number of tornado and thunderstorm warnings around central and southern Alberta on Thursday. Most had been called off by Friday morning, but some thunderstorm watches were still in effect at 10:30 a.m. in communities including Airdrie, Sundre and Cochrane. With July not over, the season that produced this damage is still running, and cleanup in the hardest-hit areas is just beginning.
Citazioni salienti
It was like being in a war zone. Everything was destroyed.— Neran Persaud, landowner west of Bergen
Lots of work for people to do now.— Thomas Morgan, area resident
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War & Conflict