Cloud begins to swirl with a funnel cloud near Barnwell - credit to Michelle David's daughter

By Dori Modney

Mother Nature leaves her ‘Calling Card’ – with a variety of outcomes

Jun 13, 2020 | 9:50 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB. — Many southern Albertans were brought to attention Saturday evening by the Alberta Emergency Alert sounding a Tornado Warning on their cell phones.

Environment Canada meteorologists were tracking a severe thunderstorm that had the potential to produce a tornado, not to mention damaging winds, large hail and intense rainfall.

Around 7:30, the thunderstorm was located near New Dayton moving 60 km/h northward. Weather radar was tracking two intense storm cells that were about 30 to 40 minutes apart.

The amount of damage sustained by the storm depended on where you live. For most of Lethbridge and the surrounding area, there was thunder and lightning, followed by strong wind and a short burst of heavy rain.

There were also very interesting and un-nerving cloud formations, which could have grown into something more intense.

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Dayna Tilleman’s daughter snapped this pick as she was about to lose the front windows of her house, outside Taber

Tara Fritschy caught this cloud formation along Highway-3 in Taber….

Swirling cloudy in Taber

However, the worst of the fury may have been saved for Calgary, where hail the size of golf balls covered the streets, smashed windows and shredded siding off of houses.

Calgary City Councillor, George Chahal, described the damage to homes, vehicles streets as “catastrophic”. Numerous roads were closed due to flash flooding and officials temporarily called a halt to C-T Train service in parts of the city’s northeast.

Siding on house is shredded – photo credit to Candeena Langan

There’s likely to be a rush for new windshields in Calgary….

More than a pitted windshield here — photo credit to Stephen Cassley

Home siding shredding, windshields smashed…and a new patio set required…

Good thing they weren’t planning on dinner outside – photo to Stephan Cassley

Break out the snow shovels again – rakes aren’t going work on this…

Hail clogging streets and sidewalks in Calgary – photo credit to SM Faisal

And, it wasn’t just vehicles blocking traffic on Deerfoot Trail in Calgary Saturday night …

Flooding on Deerfoot Trail – photo credit to YYC Transportation

Pooling water, on north-bound Deerfoot Trail, just past 32 Avenue north-east, forced a road closure.

Alberta Emergency Alert ended the Tornado Warning at 9:40-pm. It will take weeks before there is a damage estimate.