Calgary rocked by hail and flooding, councillors warn of 'catastrophic damage'

A severe thunderstorm swept southern Alberta on Saturday, damaging buildings in Calgary through both flooding and hail.

Footage taken near the Calgary airport showed intense flooding with people standing on top of submerged cars in order to stay dry. "OMG, look at this flooding in YYC from today's storm," wrote one Twitter user.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney commented on this storm, saying that he is "thinking of all those hit by the storms this evening in Calgary and parts of southern Alberta."

"Despite the damage to property, hoping that everyone is safe and unharmed," he added.

Other pictures showed the damage that enormous hail storms can cause: car windshields were shattered, roofs were dented and paint was stripped of buildings.

Another Twitter user declared that there had been terrible hail damage to Calgary's cityscape.

Calgary councillor George Chahal said that his ward was "devastated by hail and rain tonight. There has been catastrophic damage inflicted on houses and vehicles, and major flooding on many streets."