Hail punches holes in siding of homes as Calgary sees 'catastrophic damage' from severe thunderstorms

Severe weather blasted through the Calgary metro area on 
Saturday, dumping tennis ball-sized hail that punctured the 
siding of homes and unleashed flash flooding on the region.

The severe thunderstorms rolled through southern Alberta around 
6:30 p.m. on Saturday, spurring emergency alerts from weather 
officials as tornadoes were also reported in the area.

In Calgary, officials said the worst impacts from the storms 
were in the northern part of the city, where heavy rainfall and 
"severe hail" led to a "high level of call volumes" to 911.

LIGHTNING STRIKE KILLS 9 COWS IN IRELAND, ANIMALS DISCOVERED IN 
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George Chahal, city councilor for Ward 5 in Calgary, said his 
neighborhood was "devastated" by hail and rain.

"There has been catastrophic damage inflicted on houses and 
vehicles, and major flooding on many streets," he tweeted.

Video filmed by Calgary resident Cory Gerlitz from the Skyview 
Ranch neighborhood showed holes and marks in his garage and on 
other homes and structures in the area from the heavy storm on 
Saturday.

“The house is a 100x worse but not going out to view right now,” 
wrote Gerlitz on Instagram. “Hail in the bedroom as well, broken 
window.”

Others also took to social media to show the storm's damage, 
which included holes in siding and shattered car windows.

"The size of the hail is insane. Damage everywhere!" one person 
wrote.

WHAT IS A SQUALL LINE? WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THIS THREATENING 
WEATHER

Calgary Fire Department Battalion Chief Alistair Robin told CBC 
News that most of the aftermath of the storm would be focused on 
repairs and hail damage claims.

"There's significant damage for sure in the northeast with some 
houses, the siding on the exposed side of the house completely 
taken off the house," Robin told the CBC.

Besides severe hail, flash flooding trapped drivers around the 
city as the water quickly rose.

Calgary police said many major roadways were closed as crews 
worked to rescue stranded drivers.

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On Sunday, officials said many roads remained blocked by 
abandoned vehicles or pooling water after the storms.

"We are working with tow truck drivers to clear away all 
abandoned vehicles," police said.

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Total damages from the severe weather could reach up to $100 
million, according to CBC.

https://www.foxnews.com/world/calgary-severe-thunderstorm-hail-
flooding-tornado-report-catastropic-damage-weather