Province denies funding to help with 2022 tornado damage

Posted on July 13, 2023 by Ryan Dahlman

By Collin Gallant
Southern Alberta Newspapers

Disaster relief claims sent in after the 2022 tornado and damaging wind storm in Cypress County and Medicine Hat region have been rejected by the province, twice.

City administrators ctonfirmed Wednesday that its finance officials detailed $4 million in damages and costs related to the storm and cleanup and forwarded it to the provincial disaster relief program co-ordinator.

That was rejected, officials stated.

Cypress County council heard Wednesday in Dunmore that an appeal of a claim rejected last fall was sent to Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis but had again been rejected.

The stated reason is that the provincial program only covers amounts on damage of property that is uninsurable.

The July 18 storm badly damaged homes, flattened silos and flipped irrigation pivots in Cypress County along Highway 523 and the Holsom Road, battered Echo Dale Regional Park and Redcliff. Moving north, it then knocked out power lines leading to Medicine Hat’s industrial plant sites for about a week.

On July 25, 2022 Environment Canada confirmed that an F2 tornado was formed during the early afternoon storm that featured widespread heavy wind and an F1 downburst of rain.

The value of the Cypress County claim is reportedly $300,000.

The News has contacted the Town of Redcliff about any potential claim from the town, but has not received an answer.