Alberta mopping up after storm that brought heavy rain, hail and tornadoes
The storm caused extensive damage, according to Calgary mayor
CALGARY — Alberta residents, including Calgary’s mayor, are mopping up after tornadoes were spotted in several southern Alberta communities and the city was struck June 13 by torrential rain and hail.
Environment Canada said a tornado was spotted at 7:37 p.m. near New Dayton, moving 60 km/h to the northeast.
A tornado was seen about 30 minutes later near Barnwell, followed by reports of possible tornadoes in Taber and Brooks.
The weather warning was cancelled around 9:40 p.m. after the storm weakened.
Police in Calgary said many major thoroughfares closed and crews worked to rescue stranded drivers as pooling water caused significant traffic delays.
Mayor Naheed Nenshi tweeted that city crews were out all night, and were continuing to clear drains and clean up on June 14.
He said the damage was extensive.
“My house and neighbourhood were pretty badly hit, but so much worse just one community over. Thankfully no one seems to have been badly hurt,” Nenshi wrote.
The Calgary Firefighters Association tweeted that the fire rescue boat was on Deerfoot Trail, a major freeway arterial, and had helped get motorists who were stranded in their vehicles.
Fire Battalion Chief Paul Frederick said there were 23 water-rescue type calls, including two where firefighters used an inflatable raft to ferry people to safety.
Scores of Calgary residents, particularly those living in the city’s northeast, posted pictures and video showing lawns covered in hail and icy rivers flowing along their streets. Others posted pictures of their homes, many of which had vinyl siding smashed off the sides.
Calgary Transit said several bus routes experienced delays due to extreme weather and flooding in the city’s northeast, while electricity provider Enmax Corp. reported several weather-related outages in the city.
Frederick said lightning struck one house but didn’t do any damage. Seven pieces of firefighting apparatus, however, were damaged.
The city appealed to residents to help by clearing blocked storm drains and reporting any damage to public property.
“Some streets remain impassable due to flooding,” the city tweeted Sunday afternoon.
“We’re working to clear drains and roads of debris, as soon as we can. Please be safe.”
