Strong winds and hail that swept through southern Alberta last month caused significant damage visible even from space. On August 20, 2025, wind gusts reaching 150 kilometers per hour ravaged crops and vegetation across a vast area, stretching from south of Calgary to Saskatchewan. Approximately 425,000 acres of insurable crops, pasture, and native grasslands were affected by the storm.
The most severe impact of the storm, extending for hundreds of kilometers, created a visible “hail scar” that can be identified in satellite images released by NASA. The scar, measuring about 15 kilometers wide and 200 kilometers long, replaced the usual green landscape with a swath of destruction starting near Vulcan, south of Calgary, and intensifying north of Brooks.
A study conducted by researchers from the Northern Hail Project at Western University revealed that the storm’s aftermath led to some of the most severe damage ever documented. Areas north of Brooks experienced total crop devastation, with grain fields flattened, corn stalks stripped, and grasslands pulverized. The landscape was left bare, with exposed root systems and stripped shrubs.
Cleanup efforts are underway two weeks after the storm struck the hardest-hit areas. Residents and volunteers, including Gerald Torkelson, have been working tirelessly to clear debris and restore damaged properties. Farmers are assessing the extent of the damage and salvaging what crops they can for livestock feed or plowing under the irreparable fields.
The storm’s impact on ranchers is also significant, with grazing lands flattened and root systems exposed, potentially leading to reduced grazing capacity for years. The recovery process for the affected areas will be lengthy, with experts emphasizing the importance of managing the land carefully to facilitate regrowth and prevent long-term damage.
As the affected communities strive to recover from the devastating storm, the agricultural sector faces challenges in rebuilding and restoring the land to its former state. The resilience and determination of residents and farmers will play a crucial role in healing the “scar” left by the destructive weather event in southern Alberta.