A tornado near the communities of Olds and Didsbury in Alberta has destroyed as many as nine residences, CBC reported..As of 7:19 p.m. MDT, on Thursday, Environment Canada meteorologists are tracking a severe thunderstorm which they say is capable of producing very strong wind gusts, nickel to ping pong ball size hail and heavy rain..This severe thunderstorm is located near Wimborne and is moving east at 10 km/h.."Take cover immediately, if threatening weather approaches. Large hail can damage property and cause injury. Remember, severe thunderstorms can produce tornadoes. Lightning kills and injures Canadians every year. Remember, when thunder roars, go indoors," Environment Canada stated..Earlier on Thursday, Environment Canada meteorologists were tracking a severe thunderstorm near Shantz. They confirmed that storm produced a tornado..As of 4 p.m. MT, Environment Canada said the storm was no longer producing a tornado..Alberta RCMP has reported cellphone outages in the Olds and Didsbury area and told CBC that upwards to nine homes have been destroyed..The Western Standard has reached out to the Alberta RCMP to confirm the report and if any injuries have been sustained. .As of 7:51 p.m. MDT, the severe thunderstorm warning has ended.."MLA Nathan Cooper tells us that no one was hurt. Miraculous," Brian Jean stated on social media..Mountainviewtoday reported that a house, several outbuildings, a large RV, another trailer and dozens of large trees were destroyed, with debris scattered across a property in the Bergen-area.."Firefighters, RCMP officers, utility workers and others respond to several properties along the Bergen Road west of Highway 22," Mountainviewtoday stated.."Judy Bargholz and her husband John were away from the family’s residence on Thursday, July 7 when the storm tore through the district at around 3 p.m.".“Everyone is fine and everything is replaceable and that is all that matters,” Bargholz told Mountainviewtoday about the damage. “I was just coming home when I saw the fallen trees and said, ‘Oh my’.”.More to come...
