As I drove through Medicine Hat’s battered neighborhoods yesterday, the snap-crackle of broken glass beneath my tires told a story words couldn’t fully capture. Residents were perched on ladders, tarping homes whose windows resembled spider webs more than glass. Others were sweeping carpets of hailstones from driveways – the unwanted souvenirs from what locals are calling “the storm of the decade.”
“I’ve lived here thirty-seven years, and I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Eleanor Kemp, 68, balancing on her porch steps while surveying the damage to her garden. “It sounded like someone was throwing rocks at the house.”
The fury-fueled hailstorm that pummeled southeastern Alberta on Tuesday night has transformed Medicine Hat into a community both devastated and determined. Golf ball-sized hail – and in some areas, reports of baseball-sized projectiles – hammered homes, vehicles, and businesses across the region, leaving behind millions in damage and a remarkable display of neighborly resilience.
Environment Canada meteorologist Terri Lang confirmed the storm’s unusual intensity, noting that a combination of atmospheric instability and cold upper air created perfect conditions for large hail formation. “What made this event particularly destructive was the hail’s size coupled with the storm’s slow movement over populated areas,” Lang explained during our phone conversation.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada hasn’t released official damage estimates, but preliminary assessments suggest this could be among Alberta’s costliest hail events since the 2020 Calgary disaster that resulted in $1.3 billion in insured losses, according to federal government data.
Medicine Hat Mayor Linnsie Clark declared a local state of emergency Wednesday morning, activating emergency services and requesting provincial assistance. “Our immediate priorities are ensuring public safety, clearing roadways, and helping our most vulnerable residents secure temporary repairs,” Clark stated during a press briefing at city hall.
The storm’s impact reveals itself in layers. First came the immediate crisis – the terrifying minutes as hail bombarded homes and vehicles. Then came the aftermath – shattered windows, punctured roofs, and dented vehicles. Now comes the recovery – a blend of insurance claims, contractor calls, and the uniquely Canadian phenomenon of strangers helping strangers.
On 4th Avenue, I watched as the Hernandez family from three doors down helped elderly widow Marian Townsend cover a gaping hole in her living room ceiling. They’d never spoken before Tuesday night. “That’s just what you do,” shrugged Pedro Hernandez, balancing a sheet of plywood on his shoulder.
Local businesses have pivoted to emergency response mode. Home Hardware opened its doors at 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, two hours early, with staff volunteering extra shifts. Manager Dale Robertson said tarp supplies were exhausted by noon. “We’ve got three emergency shipments coming overnight from Calgary and Lethbridge stores. Nobody’s getting turned away if we can help it.”
The provincial government has activated the Alberta Emergency Management Agency, with Premier Danielle Smith pledging support during her visit to the hardest-hit areas. “We’re expediting disaster recovery program assessments,” Smith said while touring a damaged school. “Albertans take care of each other, and the province will do its part.”
Local contractors are overwhelmed with calls. Brad Wiebe of Southland Roofing told me his company received over 200 requests for emergency repairs in the first 12 hours after the storm. “We’re triaging based on severity. Water coming into the house gets priority, then we work our way down the list.”
For the Keating family on Ross Glen Drive, the storm delivered a particularly cruel blow. Their newly renovated home – completed just last month after a kitchen fire last year – now sports a collapsed sunroom and six broken windows. “You almost have to laugh,” said Michelle Keating, though her eyes betrayed the strain. “The insurance adjuster walked in and recognized us from last time.”
Insurance companies have deployed mobile response teams, setting up in parking lots across the city. The Insurance Bureau of Canada has established a consumer information center at the Medicine Hat Mall, offering advice on filing claims and avoiding repair scams that typically emerge after disasters.
Environmental concerns are also mounting. City officials warn that storm drains clogged with hail and debris could cause localized flooding with any additional rainfall. Crews are working around the clock to clear drainage systems, particularly in low-lying neighborhoods near the South Saskatchewan River.
The animal toll remains unclear. Medicine Hat SPCA reports taking in dozens of injured birds and small mammals. Local veterinarians have extended hours to handle pet injuries from broken glass and frightened escapes during the chaos.
As southeastern Alberta begins the long recovery process, climate scientists like Dr. Janelle Peterson from the University of Calgary caution this may represent the new normal. “While we can’t attribute any single weather event to climate change, the models clearly show increasing frequency and intensity of severe storms across the prairies,” Peterson explained.
Back on 4th Avenue, Eleanor Kemp invited me in for coffee – served in a mug she’d fished from beneath a fallen ceiling tile. Her kitchen window was covered with plastic, her garden demolished, but her kettle still worked. As we sat amid the wreckage, she gestured toward neighbors helping each other across the street.
“You know what’s funny? I’ve lived beside the Thompsons for eight years and barely knew their names,” she said. “Now we’re planning a block party for when this mess gets cleaned up. I guess sometimes it takes something breaking to fix something else.”
For Medicine Hat and surrounding communities, the repair work has just begun. But beneath the sound of hammers and saws, there’s another noise emerging – the steady hum of community binding itself together, stronger than before.
