There isn’t much one can do against the power of nature.
On Aug. 5, a sudden, long beep signalled on all mobile phones just before 7:45 p.m.
The beep signalled an emergency alert about a severe thunderstorm producing heavy rain, strong wind gusts, and large hailstones – mainly affecting Calgary’s northeast communities.
At 8 p.m., golf-ball-sized hail began to rain down, punching holes in the roofs and walls of houses.
Four months later, Calgarians are still cleaning up from the massive hailstorm that resulted in almost $2.8 billion in damage.
“Quite scary,” says Tarinder Sidhu, a house painter, about his experience during the hailstorm. “There’s not much you can do in front of nature.”
Calgary – the hailstorm capital of Canada – experiences some of the most severe hailstorms in the country. In September 1991, a hailstorm resulted in nearly $880 million of damage in today’s dollars. Thirty years later, in June 2020, another storm caused damages amounting to $1.3 billion.
Sidhu tried to save as much as he could, but his house, like many others, was badly damaged. Houses throughout north Calgary were riddled with broken windows, holes or dents in the siding and damaged roofs and gutters.
The golf ball-size hailstones wrecked many vehicles, damaging them to the point where the cost of repairs exceeds the value of the vehicle. Dented roofs and hoods, shattered windshields and broken mirrors rendered many vehicles unusable.
Insurance companies were not able to keep up with the influx of claims. Contractors, too, were overwhelmed with the increased demand for their services.
Even now, the backlog is affecting Calgarians still waiting on repairs to their homes after the snow has fallen.
“Unless you’ve got any references or anything, it’s hard,” says Sidhu, adding the most important thing is that the contractor is trustworthy and knowledgeable.
Hailstorm results: Tarinder Sidhu points to the holes in the siding of his house – the result of heavy hail in August. Many Calgarians are still waiting on repairs to their homes following the hailstorm. (Photo by Manpreet Kaur/The Press)
