Mile wide tornado devastates rural Canadian town on Canada Day canceling celebration events
A mile-wide tornado devastated a Canadian rural town on Canada Day, with celebratory events across the country canceled due to new storm warnings.
Footage captured and shared on social media shows a massive tornado ripping through homes in the rural town of Didsbury, Alberta earlier today.
Nearby towns, including Carstairs, were also hit by the large-scale storm that was reportedly moving at 40 kilometers per hour.
Environment and Climate Change Canada had issued warnings for the storm which they said produced a tornado, damaging winds, large hail and heavy rainfall.
In a warning they said: ‘Environment Canada meteorologists are monitoring a severe thunderstorm producing a tornado.
‘Damaging gusts of wind, heavy hail and locally heavy rainfall are also possible. This tornado is located near Didsbury and is moving southeast at 25 mph. This is a dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation.
Storm chaser Aaron Jayjack shared the footage on his Twitter page, which is full of debris
The tornado was expected to be traveling at 40 km/h and was considered potentially life-threatening
People are pictured here embracing after a tornado damaged their homes near Carstairs, Alberta
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police confirmed that a number of homes were damaged and people were injured, but they do not yet know how serious those injuries are.
The twister brought large hailballs with it, with one person on social media describing them as the “biggest hail I’ve ever seen.”
Randi Ingram shared footage of what had landed on the ground in Didsbury and posted: Hoping everyone is safe what a quick weather change.
“This tornado touched down right in front of my parents’ house and destroyed houses, tractors, vehicles and farms.
“In Didsbury we were crushed by the biggest hail I’ve ever seen.”
Melissa Boucher, who manages a campsite near Didsbury, shared the story CTV Calgary: ‘It was much too close for comfort.
‘I got a notification on my phone and usually we drive around and tell everyone (at the campsite) to stay indoors and if they’re in a tent, go to one of the outhouses.
“There wasn’t even time for that this time. It was like fist sized hail and I looked out and saw the funnel clouds. It went pretty fast and pretty scary.”
Photos and videos taken after the Didsbury storm show numerous homes destroyed by the storm.
Much of what was believed to be forest has been completely flattened, with broken, twisted trees dotted around the area.
A total of 14 homes were impacted by the tornado, five of which were completely destroyed.
A woman was trapped in her basement when her home was destroyed around her, but rescue crews managed to pull her out of the rubble.
No people were injured, but 25 cows and 20 chickens died as a result of the tornado, which also required the culling of a horse.
A woman searches for her belongings among the rubble after the devastating storm
The damage left by the storm can be seen here, ripping trees apart and leaving a house badly damaged in the background without a roof
Ingram shared the footage of the hail that landed near his home in Didsbury and compared it to a Canadian dollar
Extensive damage is visible to houses in the city, with it roofless after the storm
On Saturday night, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted: “To those injured by the tornado near Didsbury, Alberta, and to those whose homes were damaged, Canadians are here for you, and we keep you in our thoughts.
“Officials continue to monitor the situation, please stay safe.”
Due to severe weather in parts of the country, the federal Department of Canadian Heritage has suspended Canada Day activities in the capital city of Ottawa.
In an afternoon bulletin, the government agency said: ‘Canadian Heritage’s Canada Day activities in the National Capital Region have been suspended until further notice.
Prime Minister Trudeau tweeted that his thoughts are with those affected and that officials would continue to monitor the situation
Half of the tiles on the roof of this building were removed because of the tornado
The City of Ottawa posted online that downtown people who need to seek shelter from the storm could do so at City Hall.
Canada’s National Day is always celebrated on July 1, after the British North America Act, signed into law on that day in 1867, created Canada.
The latest figures show that there are currently 552 fires raging across the country, 281 of which are out of control.
Last month, the smoke had entered the United States on two separate occasions, causing appalling air quality for millions of people.
New York City: The Statue of Liberty stands in front of a hazy New York City skyline in this view from Jersey City, New Jersey
Washington DC: This photo shows cars driving toward the Capitol in the hazy smoke on South Capitol Street
On Thursday, smoke from the fires caused more than 120 million Americans to be placed under “very unhealthy” air quality warnings.
Chicago, Cleveland, Maryland and Pittsburgh were hardest hit by the fog, with Code Red warnings issued for much of the Midwest and Washington DC.
The latest smoke blanket to descend on parts of the states earlier this week came three weeks after New York City was enveloped in smoke from the same fires.
At the time, health experts warned that inhaling the mist could be as harmful as smoking 22 cigarettes a day.