Clearwater County crews clean up after tornado damages homes and blocks roads

A tornado that touched down in central Alberta on Saturday damaged homes, knocked down trees and blocked roads in parts of Clearwater County, including the Town of Rocky Mountain House. No injuries have been reported.

According to Clearwater County, the tornado touched down at about 6:30 p.m. Saturday and caused significant damage in several areas. County officials said cleanup crews are working to remove debris and reopen affected roads following the storm.

Environment and Climate Change Canada has said Alberta's unusually wet and stormy summer has created favourable conditions for tornado development. The agency reported that about 25 tornadoes had been recorded across the province as of last week, roughly 10 more than the average annual total typically seen across Alberta and Saskatchewan combined.

The federal weather agency also said Edmonton experienced record-breaking rainfall in June and was on pace to challenge rainfall records again this month, underscoring the unusually active storm season across the province.