Global Courant
A tornado that struck near a town in Canada’s Alberta province destroyed homes and killed livestock but caused no serious injuries
DIDSBURY, Alberta — A tornado that struck near a town in Canada’s Alberta province destroyed homes and killed livestock but caused no serious injuries, authorities said Sunday.
Environment and climate change Canada issued a tornado warning at 1:50 p.m. local time on Saturday near Didsbury, a town about 233 kilometers (145 miles) south of Edmonton, Alberta.
RCMP said they had received reports of a large tornado along a major highway. The width of the tornado was 1 to 2 kilometers (half a mile to 1.2 miles).
Police said numerous homes were damaged, but Cpl. Gina Slaney said there were no known injuries. The tornado warning was later terminated.
Dean Allan, deputy mayor of Carstairs, about eight miles south of Didsbury, said the twister passed between the two communities and damaged 12 homes.
“A few of them are completely destroyed,” Allan said. “There are no fatalities, fortunately only some minor injuries.”
Carstairs fire chief Jordan Schaffer said five homes were completely destroyed, including one where rescuers had to extricate a woman from her basement.
“By digging through the rubble, we were able to get her out without a scratch,” Schaffer said.
On Sunday, Schaeffer told the media that 25 cows and 20 chickens had been killed and a horse had to be euthanized.
Storm chaser Aaron Jayjack posted video online of a tornado near Didsbury crossing a highway and appearing to damage two rural homes on either side of the road.
In the video, he calls out to anyone who might be in one of the homes but can’t get any closer due to downed utility lines blocking the driveway.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted a message to people injured in the tornado or whose homes were damaged that Canadians are “here for you”.
“While officials continue to monitor the situation, please stay safe,” Trudeau said on Twitter.
