A brief hailstorm went through Chestermere over the weekend.
According to Brenda Ell, a resident in the Waterford neighbourhood, the Sunday (July 13) storm lasted for around twenty minutes and brought heavy rain, hail, and strong winds to the city.
"We were just sitting, watching TV, and all of a sudden there was a big 'bam', and it just started," said Ell. "I thought our windows were going to break, but thank goodness they didn't."
Ell claimed that the storm was so loud it scared off her cat, who is usually unfazed by thunderstorms. She also said the sound of the pounding storm was so noisy that she could hardly hear herself think.
"There's not much you can do, because the hail was so strong that we would have gotten injured."
Following the storm, Ell posted photos of the aftermath to social media, showing damage to her garden, and flooding in the parking lot outside her home.
"This is the second time this has happened, and I'm quite concerned," added Ell. "The storm drains can't handle the load. We're on the low side of Waterford, so everything is uphill."
Although the storm destroyed her flower bed, her tomato plants survived. She also noted minimal damage to her vehicle, save for a few bumps caused by the falling hail.
"I'm going to be more prepared," said Ell. "We've been having so many weather alerts, sometimes we don't take them too seriously."
The storm led to a Severe Thunderstorm Warning being issued for the area by Environment Canada.