100-year-old barn near Milo destroyed by strong winds

Strong winds and hail hit parts of southern Alberta on Saturday evening.

Campers at Daisy May Campground in Fort McLeod sent in photos of tree branches that were blown down during the storm between 6 and 7 p.m.

A caller from Milo, Alberta, named Randy described a devastating scene where high winds “destroyed 100-year-old barns, ripped off siding and tore down steel granaries.”

One email user described the storm as a “small tornado,” but there were no official tornadoes in the region on Saturday, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC).

Strong winds and large hail lashed southern Alberta Saturday night, including residents of the Daisy May campground in Fort McLeod. (Photo: Sarah Dreger)

At 10 p.m., the ECCC weather summary said: “During the afternoon and evening of August 3, 2024, an area of ​​thunderstorms developed over southern Alberta and quickly moved eastward. Some storms produced strong winds and golf ball-sized hail.”

“ECCC has received reports of wind damage in or near Milo, Queenstown, McGregor Lake Provincial Park and Fort McLeod.”

The summary said wind gusts in Fort McLeod reached 93 km/h just before 7:00 p.m., and in Mossleigh they reached 107 km/h at 6:31 p.m.

At 5:45 a.m., golf ball-sized hail was reported in Diamond Valley, while at 6:24 a.m., ping-pong ball-sized hail was reported in High River. At 6:48 a.m., ping-pong ball-sized hail was reported in Queenstown.