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A tornado that passed through the east-central Alberta hamlet of Tulliby Lake damaged several structures and agricultural and oil sites, according to county officials.
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.
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.
“The public is asked to avoid the area at this time as workers mitigate hazards.”
Both the Northern Tornadoes Project and the Alberta Emergency Management Agency have been notified of the weather event by the County of Vermilion River.
The Northern Tornadoes Project, based out of Western University in London, Ont., said in a social media post that it confirmed the “supercell tornado” near Tulliby Lake, which is about 60 kilometres northwest of Lloydminster, near the Alberta-Saskatchewan border.
The group said it used multiple photos and videos, including imagery from an OTUS Project drone and radar imagery, to help confirm the storm occurred.
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Supercell thunderstorms produce the most intense tornadoes and largest hailstones, Dave Sills, director of the Northern Tornadoes Project, told CBC News on Sunday.
“The balance of the instability and the wind … is just right to produce these highly organized thunderstorms, where the thunderstorm itself actually has a rotating updraft,” Sills said.
“It’s unfortunate that it happened, but when … the ingredients come together in that way, you’re going to see these kinds of storms,” he said.
The group will investigate to learn more about how Saturday’s tornado formed and to assess its strength, Sills said.
Dave Sills is the director of the Northern Tornadoes Project at Western University in London, Ont. (Submitted by David Sills)
“Aside from from the classification of what type of damage and the intensity of the damage, we’re looking for how long is the path, how wide is the path and also any community impacts from that event,” he said.
This year’s tornado season has been worse than in previous years, he said, noting an “unusual” number of tornadoes. As of Sunday afternoon, Northern Tornadoes Project data shows it has confirmed 24 tornadoes in Alberta so far in 2026.
Jay Lesyk, a meteorologist who witnessed Saturday’s tornado, attributes the recent increased storm activity in the Prairies to the current oceanic wave pattern called El Niño.
El Niño conditions — when surface waters of the central to eastern tropical Pacific are warmer than average — were declared on June 11, according to the U.S. Climate Prediction Center.
Madeline Cooper, a seed farmer with Fraiche Flower Farm in Tulliby Lake, told CBC News she’s used to getting tornado warnings, but Saturday’s red tornado alert was more serious than usual.
“I thought I was going to die,” Cooper said.
The tornado picked up water and sprayed toward her and her home like “aerosol,” she said, adding they waited out the storm in her basement.
After the storm passed, Cooper went outside to assess the damage to her home and farm. The destruction included uprooted trees near her septic line, as well as damage to her water pump house, windmill and horse barn, she said.
But she realizes it could have been a lot worse.
“Those are things you can rebuild,” she said.
“It was a very surreal and terrifying experience because I thought for sure we were gone.”
Within 10 minutes of the storm, neighbours were dropping by to check-in on her and her family — something she said she holds dear.
“Small communities are pretty incredible.”
