Alberta’s hail storm Monday damages at least 34 vehicles
On Monday, August 1st several supercell thunderstorms affected the foothills of Alberta and moved east – and although a tornado watch was in place in the east-central area, the massive tennis ball to softball-sized hail damaged at least 34 vehicles according to RCMP – Red Deer resident Matt Berry’s car was one of them.
“I don’t claim to know what a war sounds like, but that’s kind of what it sounded like to me, like bombs going off as it hit the top of your car and the hood,” said Berry, “And then once it started hitting the windshield, it was intense.”
Berry’s car hood is now pockmarked and his windshield is unsalvageable due to the damage.
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“It was hitting it multiple times, very hard, very loud, shattering the windshield, glass shrapnel was flying everywhere.”
Berry sustained some minor cuts from the flying glass – he says he didn’t expect the hail to come Monday night because the public weather alert only mentioned a tornado warning.
RELATED: Tornado, hailstorm hit central Alberta
“I did look at the radar before I left, and sure there was red but that could just mean heavy rain,” said Berry.
A meteorologist says it’s best to expect hail when you receive a tornado watch alert.
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“When a thunderstorm does have the capability of producing a tornado, that supersedes one that has large hail,” said Kyle Fougère, a meteorologist at Environment and Climate Change Canada. “Almost all supercell thunderstorms that are capable of producing a tornado will have large hail associated with them.”
With all the hail damage seen from this past storm, what’s the insurance cost?
“It’s likely going to be 10s of millions of dollars in damages that we have experienced already this year,” estimated Rob de Pruis, the national director of consumer and industry relations at the Insurance Bureau of Canada, “We have thousands of claims that have been presented from a variety of different events all throughout Alberta.”
As it’s still severe thunderstorm season, the meteorologist strongly advises drivers NOT to take shelter under overpasses because it blocks traffic and emergency vehicles, and in a tornado, wind speeds pick up in that space – so instead find the sturdiest building near you and shelter there.
