'Numerous' homes damaged following large tornado in central Alberta: RCMP

Alberta RCMP say homes have been damaged following a "large tornado" affecting communities in Mountain View County, but the full scope of the impact is not immediately known. 

The tornado prompted an Alberta Emergency Alert to be issued on Saturday afternoon affecting Didsbury, Olds, and Carstairs. By 2:45 p.m. that alert had been cancelled. 

RCMP had initially told media that injuries had been reported in the area, but in a second release at 4:15 p.m., RCMP said "the latest report from the ground in Didsbury RCMP detachment area is that numerous homes have been damaged."

However, at this time, it does not appear that anyone was injured." 

Cheryl Beck, a resident of Carstairs, was having lunch in the nearby town of Olds, when the province's emergency alert came in. She immediately left and headed home, but when she saw where the tornado was, she and her friend went west to avoid the damage. 

On that route home she encountered sweeping damage about a kilometer north of Carstairs. 

"I was just thinking like the trees, the trees that were down were huge and they just looked like someone broke them up like matchsticks … there was bales turned over, vehicles, like farm vehicles turned over and clearly the house just severely damaged."

"It was really devastating." 

RCMP spokesperson Gina Slaney said they are currently unsure how many homes had been damaged, but at least two houses have been severely damaged.

In an emailed statement on Saturday, Alberta Health Services confirmed that there is EMS is on scene near the town of Didsbury where the tornado recently touched down.

They however have not needed to transport patients and said the hospital was not damaged.