Named as Black Friday, a sunny and humid day in Edmonton, Alberta turned into a barrage of thunderstorms, hail and a destructive tornado.
Alberta was experiencing a heat wave and a cold weather front was approaching the Edmonton area on July 31, 1987. The Alberta Weather Centre anticipated thunderstorms and issued a severe storm watch in the early afternoon and then upgraded their report to a severe storm warning an hour later. Within 20 minutes, a resident in the nearby town of Leduc reported a tornado had touched down.
Path of the Edmonton Tornado
The funnel touched down in Leduc, Alberta which is located south of Edmonton. It gathered speed as it headed northward towards Beaumont, destroying farmland and livestock.
The tornado moved to Mill Woods which is southeast of Edmonton and leveled many homes. As the twister crossed the Sherwood Park Freeway, it tossed cars up into the air. It then proceeded to an industrial area on the outskirts of Edmonton and destroyed several buildings.
As the tornado neared the North Saskatchewan River, it flattened some of the oil storage tanks in various refineries. It was fortunate that the major operation areas of the refineries were not harmed.
The twister proceeded up the river valley to the community of Clareview, located northeast of Edmonton. It caused extensive damage in a 700-home Evergreen Mobile Home Park.
Just over an hour after the funnel touched ground in Leduc, the tornado dissipated.
Damage Caused by the Edmonton Tornado
According to Dave Breakenridge of the Calgary Sun, “Overall, 27 people were killed, hundreds injured and 1,000 left homeless. Winds topped 416 km/h - rated as an F4 tornado - cutting a swath of death and destruction 40-km long and as much as 1-km wide, unrivalled in the history of Alberta.”
Beaumont: uprooted trees, downed power poles, a barn destroyed and several cows killed.
Mill Woods: many farms destroyed, hailstones were the size of tennis balls and two people were knocked unconscious.
Sherwood Park Freeway: vehicles swept off the road during rush hour and one person was killed.
Strathcona Industrial Park and Refinery Row: 50 to 60 businesses wiped out, crumpled refinery structures, flipped storage tanks, overturned rail cars, toxic chemical spills and 12 people killed.
Clareview: three homes totally destroyed and many homes damaged.
Evergreen Mobile Home Park: more than 200 of 600 trailers destroyed and 15 people killed.
As reported by the Weather Doctor, Keith C. Heidorn, “Over 300 suffered injuries, and more than 300 homes were destroyed. The damage was estimated at $330 million.”
Since the 1987 Edmonton tornado, an improved emergency public warning system was developed whereby radio and television programs are immediately interrupted when there is weather or any emergency warning.
The copyright of the article Edmonton Alberta Tornado 1987 in Tornadoes & Hurricanes is owned by Maureen K. Fleury. Permission to republish Edmonton Alberta Tornado 1987 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
ITs pretty crazy to have a tornado. in a big city because alot of
people die
Jan 26, 2009 6:12 PM
Guest :
wow i feel sorry for the dead ones may they rest in peace
Feb 24, 2009 6:29 PM
Guest :
i let the dead ones
Rest In Peace
May 4, 2009 9:39 AM
Guest :
wow
only 27 people died! that surprizing to me!!
R.I.P
Jul 31, 2009 6:47 AM
Guest :
its craazy to think that it was one of the second deadlest tornadoes in
canadian history. may i let the ones that dead rest in peace:)
Jul 31, 2009 11:14 AM
Guest :
I live a few blocks north of NAIT college (central Edmonton) and remember
looking southwest out my backyard that day-July 31, 1987. The clouds were
dark blue, purple and black. Some had a tinge of green. I'll never
forget the sound of air moving faraway and the clouds were unrolling from
that area east ward as as if someone was unrolling a carpet. Permanently in
my mind.
That same day two years ago on July 31,2007, there was
a severe thunderstorm with related warnings. The clouds looked funny and
seemed creepy. Thankfully there was no tornado, but only a small updraft
funnel reported. It was almost as if mother nature was saying REMEMBER ME!
If only I had a video camera both times.
RIP victims.
Sep 30, 2009 11:00 AM
Guest :
Is this up to date? if this is the second then what is the frist?
Sep 30, 2009 1:36 PM
Maureen K. Fleury :
Look at the bottom of the article where it says Related Articles on
Tornadoes in Canada.
There is a link to the Worst Tornado in
Canada's History
Oct 19, 2009 10:16 PM
Guest :
I remember this day as if it happened yesterday. I was actually 9 at home
with my old bro who was 10 and my sister who was 8. Me and my sister were
sent home from the Green Shack if that's even still around. They would
play activities planned for kids out of school. My parents had left us to
go out to the barber shop. An hour tops is what they were hoping to be out
for. I remember losing electricity, everything going pitch black. It was
the freakiest thing ever. I actually lived in the Millwoods area. We knew
something was different, but couldn't really pin point why a nice beautiful
day turned into this mean dark sky. The winds were totally out of control.
We went out the next day to see the mass destruction that the tornado had
left behind. Trees were uprooted, people's homes were destroyed. Black
Friday indeed. It was one of those things that just doesn't happen but
you'll remember forever.
