Calgary's 2020 hailstorm is Canada's 4th costliest natural disaster

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 Saturday, June 13, 2020, a hailstorm hit Calgary, Alta. It caused $1.2 billion in insured damage. According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, this is the fourth costliest natural disaster in the country's history.

"It is clear this is a devastating thing for many people," said Naheed Nenshi, Calgary's mayor.

The hailstorm damaged approximately 70,000 homes and vehicles. It also wiped out entire crops. The hailstones came down large and fast; some reached the size of tennis balls and came crashing down as fast as 100 km/h.

Kyle Brittain, a video journalist at The Weather Network, was at the scene. He captured a row of cars that were heavily damaged by hail. The stones also impaled the grass, making tennis ball-sized holes.

"Many people in Calgary have had their homes completely wrecked...a lot of people have had their livelihood taken away, and even those who were fully insured are still looking at huge deductibles, having to come up with thousands of dollars today for an expense that can't be delayed," said Mayor Nenshi to CBC.

Alberta provided financial support for residents who experienced overland flooding. Some residents in the area expressed that the provincial support wasn't enough as their insurance didn't nearly cover the damage from the storm.

Canada's most expensive natural disaster on record is the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire, which cost approximately $4 billion. Out of Canada's top 10 most costly disasters, six have been in Alberta.

To learn more about the 2020 Calgary hailstorm, listen to today's episode of "This Day In Weather History."

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Thumbnail: "Candeena Langan shared this photo of her street in Saddle Ridge after the June 13 hailstorm, which shredded her home's siding and broke one of her windows. The hailstorm cost $1.2 billion in damage in total." Courtesy of Candeena Langan