Global Courant
Elisa Humphreys got into her car with her dog and cat and fled shortly before a tornado destroyed her home in central Alberta.
On Saturday afternoon, a tornado touched down between the towns of Carstairs and Didsbury, Alta., Environment Canada said.
Humphreys had received an Alberta Emergency Alert that a tornado was coming, looked out her window and saw it coming.
When she returned to the area there was nothing but rubble left. She said she has no insurance and the family is trying to raise money for her.
“I came here and called my son and I said there’s nothing here, there’s nothing here, it’s all gone,” she said.
“It almost looks like planes crashed here, but what it is is the utter destruction of two houses that have just been torn apart and scattered all over the place.”
Elisa Humphreys lost her home in the tornado on Saturday. She says she has no insurance. (Helen Pike/CBC)
“It’s a big loss financially. The last few years with COVID have been tough. So to rebuild would mean getting a mortgage and stuff… we’re just going to try and figure out what to do,” said Humphreys.
“I hope I can find a way to continue living here, and especially in such a great community where people turn out like that.”
People were out on Sunday helping Humphreys clean up the wreckage, find family photos and whatever else could be salvaged. She said there were more than 100 people all day.
Officials are still working to understand the full extent of the damage left by the tornado, and there have been conflicting reports throughout the weekend about the amount of property damaged, destroyed, and possible injuries.
Look | A time-lapse video recorded at Carstairs shows the tornado beginning to form
A tornado forms in central Alberta
A time-lapse video of the tornado in Carstairs on Saturday
According to the latest figures from Environment and Climate Change Canada, nine homes were damaged, three of which were destroyed.
In an update sent out Sunday night, Carstairs fire chief Jordan Schaffer said the tornado affected 14 homes. Schaffer did not specify which homes were damaged or destroyed.
Farm buildings and electricity infrastructure have also been damaged or destroyed.
Darlene Bowen, whose sister-in-law was rescued from the rubble of her home by emergency services after taking refuge in the basement, said the tornado wreaked havoc on the property and tossed out large farm equipment and vehicles. She said it also damaged the farmer’s family’s barn and killed cows.
“It was really hard last night… I pulled over so I could see the lights, put my lights on these trees, and I’m telling you, I just started crying. It was devastating to watch my childhood property completely demolished.” ” she said.
Damage can be seen near Elisa Humphreys’ home. On Saturday, a tornado touched down between Carstairs and Didsbury, Alta. (Helen Pike/CBC)
“But in the same way, I also know that it will be okay and it’s just stuff. And I’m thankful that everyone was okay.”
She said her other relatives had also lost their homes. Bowen’s niece lives in a nearby trailer.
“She wasn’t home at the time — at the time — which was very good because her caravan is — there’s not much left of it.”
“We’re all in shock. Obviously they’re all in shock and they’re all wondering at this point what’s next and how we go from here. But they all know this is just stuff and they’re moving on, said Bowen.
Darlene Bowen said the tornado was devastating, but her family looks forward to the future. (Helen Pike/CBC)
In an update on Saturday night, RCMP confirmed that a woman was trapped in her basement when her home above her was destroyed. Carstairs firefighters pulled her from the rubble and she sustained minor injuries. No other injuries have been reported, RCMP said.
‘We want to make sure we can help all these people’
Schaffer said crews dug through the rubble to get to the woman.
He said the next step is to address the mental health of the victims.
“We’ve been talking to the RCMP and they’re trying to set up victim support so they can have a chat with them, make sure they’re in the best condition and see if they need anything else,” he said.
“We want to make sure that we can help all these people no matter what.”
A house is no longer visible after a tornado in central Alberta. A woman was rescued from her basement in this neighborhood on Saturday. (Helen Pike/CBC)
Environment Canada is still reviewing the tornado rating
Jesse Wagar, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, said the tornado spent at least 20 minutes on the ground, but likely longer.
But she said that also gave people time.
“You could see it coming from quite a distance and because it was on the ground for so long, I think, with the tornado warning, it gave people enough time to get to safety,” Wagar said.
Connell Miller, a technical researcher for the Northern Tornadoes Project at Western University, left, and Jesse Wagar, a meteorologist at Environment and Climate Change Canada, right, are at the site where the tornado touched down in Alberta to assess the damage. (Helen Pike/CBC)
She said it will take a while to fix the extensive damage and give the tornado an assessment.
Connell Miller, a technical researcher for the Northern Tornadoes Project at Western University, said the tornado’s impact could have been worse.
“It’s amazing that the people who lived through this tornado weren’t more hurt than they were,” he said.
“There’s a big subdivision two miles away. There’s a mobile trailer park, right? And it’s amazing that none of that has been touched.”
RCMP says woman charged with careless driving in tornado area
In a press release sent out on Sunday, Didsbury RCMP said they are asking motorists to stay away from the area.
“The increased number of motorists coming to the area to ‘have a look’ is causing problems,” the press release reads.
RCMP said a woman was charged with careless driving and distracted driving when she stopped in the middle of the road, parked her vehicle and continued to take photos even as police told her to continue driving.
Officials are on site between Carstairs and Didsbury on Sunday to assess the impact of a tornado. (Helen Pike/CBC)
“Her actions caused a huge traffic problem. Also, officers had to respond to a collision in the area because people were not paying attention to the road.”
Eyewitness says tornado was a ‘monster’
Storm chaser Aaron Jayjack was in the area when the tornado damaged homes about five to nine miles southeast of Didsbury.
“It hit a few buildings, but barely scraped some buildings. I saw a little bit of damage, a little bit of debris,” he said. “And when I decided to get a little bit closer to it, like I did, then it really got stronger and hit a few houses, damaging them quite a bit.”
Jayjack said he stopped his pursuit to check the houses to see if anyone was hurt, but all he heard was gas “spit” from the house and saw the power lines go out.
LOOK | Tornado in central Alberta as seen from the highway:
Tornado spotted by family in central Alberta
Deborah Bradbury-Dawe, who shared this video with CBC News, said her family was driving from Calgary to Edmonton when they had to pull over because of the tornado near Carstairs, Alta.
“I decided it wasn’t safe for me to get closer to home and at that very moment. I saw emergency responders on their way to me. So I decided to let them do their job and keep doing my main tasks. track, following the storm and coming back on the tornado,” he said.
“It was just a monster, insane tornado that tracked down the Prairie here in Alberta.”
Greg Kosic, a Carstairs resident, ran out of his home to see where the tornado was heading and to see if his family had to “hit the basement.”
He said it was a scary moment for the city because they didn’t know which way the tornado was going.
“It was a dangerous moment, everyone felt it,” said Kosic.
He said he had been monitoring the weather since the tornado on Saturday afternoon.
“I woke up at 3am, believe me, it looked like another one was coming. It makes you worried, aware and a little nervous. Next time there’s a weather pattern, we’ll pay attention to it” , he said.
