The unforgettable Three Hills Tornado that shook up the Alberta town

This Day In Weather History is a daily podcast by Chris Mei from The Weather Network, featuring stories about people, communities and events and how weather impacted them.

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On Friday, June 2, 2017, at approximately 5 p.m., a tornado hit just northeast of Calgary, Alberta. It was spotted near Three Hills and was headed east towards Morrin and Rowley.

Locals were in awe of what they were seeing. Trina Luoma was just getting home from grocery shopping when she saw the funnel cloud.

"At first I thought there was a fire because it looked like a whole bunch of smoke. It started in the fields, and the dirt was just getting taken up, and we watched it get bigger and bigger and go across the highway," said Luoma. Adding, "I know they can be dangerous, but it was beautiful at the same time."

A farm owner, Clare Stankievech, said she had seen severe thunderstorms but nothing compared to the tornado.

"We have vicious thunderstorms that go through, but when I looked up from my yard and saw that, it put a new scare into a person. It's different than anything I'd ever seen," said Stankievech.

Luckily, all of her animals were safe. And the storm quickly past and the sky was clear and sunny. According to locals, the tornado was on the ground for around 10 minutes.

Courtesy Shawn Legg

The tornado didn't harm anyone. It did damage several barns and other rural property.

Ron Clarke, Three Hills RCMP Const., who was called to the scene, said, "it's very shocking, especially when it's so close to your house," adding, "I'm still shaking, as I think half the town is actually."

To learn more about the Three Hills Tornado, listen to today's episode of "This Day In Weather History."

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Thumbnail: Courtesy Vance Neudorf