Canadian Prairies (Rural Roots Canada) – Several powerful storms swept across Alberta and Saskatchewan on August 20, leaving behind a trail of destruction that wiped out entire crops and killed livestock.

Teams from the Canadian Severe Storms Laboratory (CSS), Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP), and Northern Hail Project (NHP) have confirmed multiple damaging weather events, including an EF1 downburst near Brooks, Alberta, and a series of destructive wind and hail events north of Saskatoon.

The most destructive storm originated near Diamond Valley, Alberta. By mid-afternoon, it had intensified as it moved east. By the time the storm reached Brooks, the storm had produced hailstones measuring 40 to 70 millimetres in diameter and winds topping 160 km/h. The result was what researchers described as “among the worst wind-driven hail damage the NHP has documented to date.”

Satellite imagery revealed a 420-kilometre-long “hail scar” stretching west of Brant, Alberta, into Saskatchewan. Within that stretch, homes, farm buildings, and vehicles sustained significant or total siding, windows, and roof damage. Crops across the storm’s path were completely destroyed.

RELATED: Farmers Reeling After Hail and Wind Wipe Out Crops Near Brooks

The damage extended beyond properties and fields. In areas north of Brooks, poultry and wild birds were killed, and several larger livestock deaths were reported, though some were caused by falling trees and debris.

Inside Brooks, hailstones up to seven centimetres in diameter were recorded, causing extensive damage.

Communities to the northeast, including Patricia and Jenner, also reported widespread damage and impact.

A separate cluster of supercell thunderstorms developed later that evening near North Battleford, Saskatchewan. As those storms tracked eastward, they produced baseball-sized hail, winds over 150 km/h, and multiple confirmed downbursts and vortices.

Near Radisson, windshield-shattering hail up to 75 millimetres in diameter flattened canola fields. South of Hague, survey teams found evidence of 155 km/h winds and large hail, which stripped crops and caused considerable property damage. Elsewhere in Saskatchewan, the NTP confirmed several distinct wind events, including an EF1 microburst near Mennon, an EF1 downburst near Gruenthal, which killed livestock and damaged farms, and an EF0 tornado near Buffer Lake that damaged grain bins, crops, and trees along a 740-meter track.

Despite the scale of destruction across both provinces, no human injuries were reported.

The Canadian Crop Hail Association says its member companies are investigating 1,800 crop damage claims from storms that occurred between August 17-23. “Some producers saw the potential for the first great crop in several years being destroyed just before harvest,” said Yves Dooper with Agriculture Financial Services Corporation.

Rodney Schoettler with Saskatchewan Municipal Hail Insurance said it’s all hands on deck with adjusters to assess damage from the storms. He anticipates it will take several weeks to assess all of the claims.

“Claimants need to keep evidence as required by each company,” he said. “August 20 will likely be the biggest loss event of the year for the crop hail industry.”

According to researchers, the August 20 storm is one of the most significant hail and wind events documented in Western Canada in recent years. Analysis of survey data and satellite imagery is ongoing, and officials say more wind events may still be added to the official records as the investigation continues.