Several structures damaged after tornado passes through part of central Alberta hamlet
A supercell tornado caused structural damage in a central Alberta hamlet, leading to power outages and emergency alerts. Local officials and the Northern Tornadoes Project are currently assessing the damage and clearing debris.
Why it matters
Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, highlighting the importance of rapid emergency response and infrastructure resilience in rural communities.
In a news release on Sunday, the County of Vermilion River said no injuries were reported to officials.
An Alberta Emergency Alert was issued for the county around 5:30 p.m. MT Saturday, after Environment Canada posted a red tornado warning. The alert, which was cancelled around 6 p.m., said caution should be exercised in Dewberry, Tulliby Lake, Onion Lake and the Makaoo (Part) 120 First Nation.
"This is a very dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation," the Environment Canada warning read.
County officials also said on Sunday that energy operator ATCO indicated outages were affecting residents on Saturday, but that power has been restored.
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Some roads in the affected area may have fallen trees, but crews are assessing the damage and working to clear any obstacles, the county said.
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