What Is Tornado Alley?
Tornado Alley traditionally refers to a region of the United States that is hit by tornadoes at an unusually high rate. Although there is no formal agreement on the exact borders of tornado alley, most meteorologists agree that part or all of Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma, both Dakotas, Arkansas, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico are contained within it. The vast majority of tornadoes and an even higher portion of very powerful tornadoes occur within this area, with F4 and F5 tornadoes outside of this range being almost completely unheard of. With all of this, you might be wondering where Canada’s tornado alley is, if it exists at all.
Where Is Canada’s Tornado Alley?
Canada’s tornado alley comprises most of Alberta, the lower half of Saskatchewan, and the southern portions of Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec. Most of Canada’s tornadoes take place within this area. Major cities that are included in Canada’s tornado alley include Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton, Sudbury, Windsor and Montreal among others.
How Many Tornadoes Does Canada Get?
Although it is believed that Canada gets the second most tornadoes of any country in the world, there is no set number of tornadoes that touch down in Canada per year. Usually, about 30-60 tornadoes are recorded in Canada per year, and it is estimated that perhaps over 200 total twisters strike the country each year, just with most of them never being anywhere near a major city, and thus are never witnessed by anybody. The prairie provinces generally average somewhere in the high teens each year in the number of tornadoes recorded annually, with Ontario averaging closer to ten. Quebec averages about 5 or so, with the Atlantic provinces and BC getting even fewer. The territories generally get a total of one tornado every few years.
How Powerful Are Tornadoes In Canada?
Tornadoes in Canada are generally close to the average regarding power. About 45 per cent of all tornadoes in Canada are F0, 30 per cent are F1, 20 per cent are F2, Four per cent are F3, less than one per cent are F4, and there has only been one F5 tornado in Canadian history. As expected, most major tornadoes (F3 or higher) in Canadian history have happened in Canada’s tornado alley. The only major tornado to occur in Canada outside of Canada’s tornado alley was the 1879 Bouctouche New Brunswick tornado, which was later estimated to be an F3.
When Do Most Tornadoes Happen In Canada’s Tornado Alley?
The vast majority of tornadoes in Canada occur between April and September, with June and July having both the highest number of tornadoes and the most powerful tornadoes on average. However, it should be noted that although tornadoes in colder months are rare, tornadoes are technically possible at any time of year in any location on Earth.
What Are Some Notable Tornadoes That Have Hit Canada’s Tornado Alley?
Most of the tornadoes that have happened in the country have happened in Canada’s tornado alley. On a related note, with very few exceptions, the most notable of which being the 1897 Bouctouche New Brunswick tornado, the country’s most notable twisters have all happened here. Most of them are listed below.
The 2007 Elie Tornado
The 2007 Elie tornado is notable for being the only F5 tornado to ever hit the country. It was also notable for being the most powerful tornado in the world in 2007. It hit the city of Elie, Manitoba on the evening of June 22, 2007, and lasted just over half an hour, destroying over $39 million in damages, mostly to homes and a flour mill. Luckily, due to the twister having initially touched down in an area away from the city allowing for advanced warnings, and the low population of Elie allowing for easier evacuation, the tornado didn’t kill anybody.
The 1987 Edmonton Black Friday Tornado
Usually cited as having done more damage than any other tornado in the history of the country, the 1987 Black Friday tornado hit Edmonton on July 31, 1987. It did over $330 million worth of damage (at the time), killed 27 people, and injured over 300 others. With wind speeds of just a few km/h short of reaching F5 strength, this powerful F4 tornado was one of the most powerful storms in the history of the country. This was also part of a tornado swarm, with seven other tornadoes hitting Alberta that day.
The Regina Tornado of 1912
The tornado that hit Regina on June 30, 1912, killed 28 people, making it the deadliest tornado that has ever hit Canada. Similar to the 1987 Black Friday tornado, it was an F4 that hit a major city in the late afternoon and injured over 300 people. The total damage at the time was only $4.5 million, but due to inflation would have been much larger than that if it struck today. Over 2500 people were left homeless, and it would take the city over two years to repair, and over a decade to pay off all the debt that was needed to repair the city.
The 1946 Windsor-Tecumseh Tornado
The 1946 Windsor-Tecumseh tornado is highly unusual in that it managed to hit both Canada and the United States. Originally touching down in Michigan, the tornado crossed the border and smashed into Windsor, killing a total of 17 people, and doing almost $10 million in damages. The powerful storm was rated an F4 tornado. It temporarily cut power to The Windsor Star, and the Detroit News offered to help print their papers until the power was restored. This allowed news of the twister to quickly spread to the surrounding regions.
The 1953 Sarnia Tornado
Similar to the 1946 Windsor-Tecumseh tornado, the 1953 Sarnia tornado was an F4 tornado that started in America and then hit Canada. This one started in Port Huron and eventually made it to Sarnia, killing a total of 7 people, injuring 117 others, and did almost $18 million in damage.
1979 Stratford and Woodstock Tornadoes
Part of a large tornado outbreak, these two F4 twisters both occurred on the evening of August 7 1979. These two combined to make 350 homes uninhabitable, leaving 1000 people homeless. Two people were killed, and 142 people were injured.
1985 Barrie Tornado
Part of the massive 1985 United States – Canada tornado outbreak, this one the most devastating of the tornadoes that hit Canada. Estimates differ on how many people were killed, with some sources saying 8, and others saying north of 12. However, this tornado did $150 million worth of damage. Out of the 44 tornadoes in the outbreak, 14 hit Canada, with this being the most notable. The American states hit by the outbreak include New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, with one particularly damaging tornado in the states hitting F5 status.
2000 Pine Lake Tornado
This F3 struck Alberta on July 14th, 2000. It was notable for its death toll, having killed 12 people, which is more than many tornadoes that were much more powerful.
2018 Ottawa Tornado
As part of a massive outbreak on September 21, this tornado did plenty of damage to both Ottawa and Gatineau. At least 200 buildings were damaged, and 25 people were injured. This was rated an EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita scale.