Neran Persaud, a landowner who lives west of Bergen, Alta., said what happened Thursday still seems unreal — like experiencing a dream. Or a nightmare.
“It was like being in a war zone. Everything was destroyed,” he said. “All the trees are down. My tractor tent is gone, my horse shelters are gone. What else can I say?’
Mounties said a tornado toppled one house and severely damaged four others southeast of Sundre, Alta., as Thursday’s stormy weather brought thunderstorms and tornadoes to southern Alberta.
Police said no one was seriously injured, but one person had minor injuries.
In an initial summary released by Environment and Climate Change Canada at 11:29 a.m. Friday, the weather agency confirmed a tornado had touched down near Bergen. The first report of a tornado was received around 2:30 p.m. Thursday.
Severe weather in Alberta on Thursday caused severe property damage, with Mounties saying a tornado knocked down one house and severely damaged four others southeast of Sundre. (Kyle Brittain/The Weather Network)
Peak wind gusts reached 104 kilometers per hour, according to Environment Canada, and hail up to five centimeters was reported in some areas.
Persaud said his main concern was the safety of his animals, as they were the only ones on the property at the time. And despite what happened, he feels like “the luckiest man alive.”
“Everyone is safe, no one was hurt. The house is still standing,” he said. “I don’t know how that would happen…someone is taking care of you. I don’t know what you call that.’
Thomas Morgan, who also lives in the area, said he spotted a “big old black cloud” on Thursday that turned into a massive cloud and brought heavy rain.
“I came here last night to see the damage and, oh boy, it’s unbelievable,” Morgan said. “Now people have a lot of work to do.”
The Weather Network’s Kyle Brittain captured this photo of flattened trees after Thursday’s extreme weather across the province. (Kyle Brittain/The Weather Network)
Nearby, Rod Gegi said his property wasn’t hit, but just a few kilometers away he could see where the storm had come from.
“It just exploded and knocked everything down, like matchsticks, knocked everything down. Like I said, we’re really lucky,” he said.
Kyle Brittain, Alberta bureau chief for The Weather Network, told CBC News earlier that the province is entering peak tornado season. Continues in July.
He said Alberta typically sees about 15 tornadoes a year.
Environment Canada issued a number of tornado and thunderstorm warnings around central and southern Alberta on Thursday, although most were lifted as of Friday morning.
Some thunderstorm watches remain in effect for communities such as Airdrie, Sundre and Cochrane as of 10:30 a.m. Friday.
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