A series of storms swept across central Alberta on Saturday, July 18, including a system that triggered two tornadoes in Rocky Mountain House and surrounding Clearwater County.
On Wednesday, Environment Canada confirmed there were two twisters after researchers had a chance to survey the damage in west-central Alberta.
The national weather agency came to the conclusion in partnership with the Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP), which sent a team to do an on-site storm damage survey after the weekend storm.
The tornadoes uprooted and snapped trees in half, downing entire sections of forest. It also tore roofs off buildings and scattered debris around yards.
The first tornado touched down at 6:18 p.m. to the south of Rocky Mountain House. It caused damage to several properties, including homes, barns and outbuildings, garages, vehicles, and trees.
The second tornado showed up 18 minutes later at 6:36 p.m., on the east side of town, where locals said it travelled about five km east into in Clearwater County, going towards Leslieville.
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It also damaged several properties, Environment Canada said. Locals reported hail the size of golf balls.
No human injuries were reported from either tornado, although Environment Canada was told two animals were injured by the second twister.
Environment Canada uses the Enhanced Fujita Scale to measure the wind damage from a tornado.
It ranges from an EF0, with a wind speed between 90 and 130 km/h to an EF5 with a wind speed of 315 kilometres or more per hour.
Both Rocky Mountain House tornados have been given an EF2 classification, with estimated maximum wind speeds of 190 km/h.
That same night, severe storms swept across central Alberta, including the Edmonton region, where heavy rain flooded roads like Whitemud Drive and Yellowhead Trail.
Storms have battered parts of Alberta on a regular basis for nearly two months now, leading to the ground being so saturated it doesn’t have a chance to dry out — forcing more runoff into storm water systems in urban areas.
In Edmonton, utility provider EPCOR said the system is overwhelmed and needs a stretch of dry weather to recover.
As of July 22, there have been 27 tornadoes recorded in Alberta this year — an increase by over 50 per cent compared to previous years, according to the Northern Tornadoes Project based out of Western University’s Canadian Severe Storms Lab in London, Ont.
The NTP’s research team has been compiling data for nearly a decade and has been able to nearly double the 30-year average number of tornadoes documented across Canada on a regular basis.
Members of the team travel across Canada throughout the summer storm season when a tornado is suspected to have occurred, working with Environment Canada to document the twisters.
Alberta tornados confirmed by the NTP in 2026
- EF0 rating: 18 tornadoes
- Crestomere on May 17
- Didsbury on May 17
- Olds on May 17
- Olds on May 18
- Garfield on May 18
- Gull Lake on May 18
- Blackfalds on May 18
- Usona on May 17
- Ponoka on May 18
- Heisler on May 19
- Two in Tilley on June 16
- Seven Persons near Medicine Hat on June 16
- Hines Creek on June 15
- Nampa on June 15
- Falher on June 15
- McLennan on June 15
- Culp on June 15
- EF1 rating: Three tornadoes
- Enilda on June 15
- Two in Eaglesham on June 15
- EF2 rating: Five tornadoes
- Girouxville on June 15
- Dillberry Lake on July 8
- Prospect Valley on July 8
- Two in Rocky Mountain House on July 18
- EF3 rating: One tornado
- Tulliby Lake in eastern Alberta on July 11
- Pending: A tornado that touched down last Friday, July 17 near Robb, south of Edson in western Alberta’s foothills, is still under investigation and hasn’t yet been classified
Anyone with more information about the Rocky Mountain House tornadoes, who has not yet reached out to Environment Canada, is asked to report it by calling 1-800-239-0484, emailing storm@ec.gc.ca, or posting to social media with the hashtag #abstorm.
The same goes for any severe weather forecasters should be aware of.
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