CALGARY – Residents living in Airdrie are cleaning up after a series of intense storms that hit on Thursday, leaving hail damage to many homes and vehicles.
The first storm struck around 4 p.m., one hour after Environment Canada issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the area. It sent toonie-size hail pounding down onto city streets.
The wet weather caused extensive damage as it traveled through Airdrie, with countless cars suffering broken windshields and severe dents.
“It’s the longest hail I’ve ever seen,” says Airdrie’s Kevin Moore. “Probably 15 minutes – and it was hard for the whole time.”
WATCH: Driver’s windshield smashed by hail during storm in Airdrie
The hail also caused significant damage to homes, smashing windows and leaving holes in the siding of many houses.
Airdrie homeowner Tammy Noel watched helplessly as the storm and size of the hail intensified.
“All of a sudden, it was just pounding on the window, like rocks were coming,” explains Noel.
“Our top window in our master bedroom, one of them is broken,” she adds. “We have holes all over the front of our siding.”
GALLERY: Toonie-sized hail in Airdrie on Thursday, August 7th, 2014.
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Airdrie RCMP say between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. they received 24 calls related to the storm.
One collision on Yankee Valley involved five vehicles. There were no injuries, but Airdrie Fire Services had to extricate a victim.
Two more cells pounded Airdrie later in the evening, one at 8:30 p.m. and the other around 11 p.m.
GALLERY: An intense storm floods Main Street in Airdrie around 11 p.m. on Thursday, August 7th, 2014.
In Calgary, police did receive reports of a tornado touching down east of Metis Trail and north of Stoney Trail.
“It looked like it was going to go full blown, almost fully from the clouds to the ground,” said witness Anomi Desrosiers. “It was amazing and scary to see.”
Global News weather specialist Paul Dunphy says the formation may have actually been a gustnado, which is defined as a type of low-level rotating cloud.
Environment Canada has yet to confirm if a tornado did in fact touch down.
Calgary’s seven day weather forecast
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