Calgary grapples with aftermath of hailstorm that damaged property, caused airport delays

Calgary residents are grappling with the aftermath of a hailstorm that pummelled the region Monday night.

Hail battered northern parts of the city and left behind it a trail of destruction, including smashed windows, dented homes and vehicles as well as decimated gardens.

Sections of the Calgary International Airport were also closed due to hail and rain damage.

On Monday evening, Environment Canada meteorologists were tracking a severe thunderstorm and issued storm warnings for various regions in south central Alberta. At around 8 p.m., an Alberta Emergency Alert was issued for the City of Calgary and other southern areas, warning of torrential rainfall and potentially baseball-sized hail.

Netanya Winterburn lives in Sage Hill, a neighbourhood in northwest Calgary. She says the storm came quickly, and it felt like there was minimal time to prepare after the emergency alert had been issued. 

"I remember looking out past the window, like across the field, and there was this giant lightning strike, which it's kind of humbling and interesting because you feel so small and powerless," said Winterburn. 

"We were pretty scared. Normally, I don't get scared during storms, but even I found myself a little bit like, 'oh, don't stand too close to the windows.'"

The houses in her neighbourhood are damaged, with dents in the roof and chunks of siding missing. On top of that, her vehicle's windshield is cracked and her husband's tail lights are shattered. Winterburn says she's happy no one was injured, but the next step in dealing with the aftermath of the storm will be contacting their insurance companies.

"I tried calling, but the lines are so busy, which makes sense. So I filed a claim online. I know my husband's been trying to get through to insurance. He still hasn't been able to," said Winterburn.

"We're just trying to figure out how to move forward from a natural disaster."

Winterburn isn't alone. Many north Calgary residents are now figuring out how to clean up the massive mess left in the storm's wake.

Kim Ainsworth was also struggling to get in touch with her insurance company on Tuesday morning.

"I'm on hold with insurance for the second time because I got cut off the first time," she said.

Ainsworth believes she hasn't even been able to fully take note of all of the damage to her property yet because there's so much of it. The hailstorm damaged parts of her house, blasting holes in her hot tub cover and the siding of her home, and it also wreaked havoc on her daughter's car.