View source for Edmonton tornado

{{Short description|1987 tornado in Alberta, Canada}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=July 2017}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2017}}
{{Infobox storm
 | name                 = Edmonton tornado
 | image                = Edmonton Tornado.jpg
 | alt                  = F4 tornado
 | caption              = A photograph of the tornado by Steve Simon
 | formed               = July 31, 1987
 | active               = 2:55 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. [[Mountain Daylight Time|MDT]] (20:55-02:00[[UTC]])
 | dissipated           = 
 | lowest pressure      = 919.3
 | fujitascale         = F4
 | tornadoes            = 
 | highest winds        = {{convert|418|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}
 | tornado duration = 2:55 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. [[Mountain Daylight Time|MDT]] (20:55-02:00[[UTC]])
 | beaufort scale       = 
 | hail                 = Tennis ball and larger
 | maximum rain         = {{convert|300|mm|inch}}
 | power outages        =
 | total fatalities     = 27 fatalities<br />~300 injured
 | damages              = $332.27 million<br />(${{Format price|{{Inflation|CA|332270000|1987}}}} in {{Inflation/year|CA}} dollars{{Inflation/fn|CA}})
 | areas affected       = [[Edmonton|City of Edmonton]], [[Strathcona County]], [[Central Alberta]]
 | enhanced             = No
 | notes                = <ref name="Pressure">{{cite web|title=Hourly Data Report for July 31, 1987 - Station pressure (kPa)|url=http://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate_data/hourly_data_e.html?timeframe=1&Year=1987&Month=7&Day=31&hlyRange=1961-01-01%7C2012-04-12&dlyRange=1959-05-01%7C2012-04-11&mlyRange=1959-01-01%7C2012-04-01&StationID=1865&Prov=AB&urlExtension=_e.html&searchType=stnName&optLimit=yearRange&StartYear=1987&EndYear=1987&selRowPerPage=25&Line=1&searchMethod=contains&txtStationName=Edmonton|website=Environment Canada|publisher=Government of Canada|access-date=2016-08-28|df=mdy-all|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181214070301/http://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate_data/hourly_data_e.html?timeframe=1&Year=1987&Month=7&Day=31&hlyRange=1961-01-01%7C2012-04-12&dlyRange=1959-05-01%7C2012-04-11&mlyRange=1959-01-01%7C2012-04-01&StationID=1865&Prov=AB&urlExtension=_e.html&searchType=stnName&optLimit=yearRange&StartYear=1987&EndYear=1987&selRowPerPage=25&Line=1&searchMethod=contains&txtStationName=Edmonton|archive-date=December 14, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="AEMA-winds of Terror">{{cite web|author1=ITV (Global News Edmonton)|title=Winds of Terror|url=http://apsts.alberta.ca/video/watch/1siliYpDcToEQ0ZE2uDZv8|website=Alberta Municipal Affairs|publisher=Government of Alberta|access-date=2016-05-10|location=Edmonton|format=Video|date=1987|df=mdy-all|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130115052126/http://apsts.alberta.ca/video/watch/1siliYpDcToEQ0ZE2uDZv8|archive-date=January 15, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Hail">{{cite web|title=Reported Hail-Size Category|url=https://86cd6c93-a-e0c5cea3-s-sites.googlegroups.com/a/ualberta.ca/tornado/home/chapt5/figure-12/fig12.JPG?attachauth=ANoY7cqe5vwwPyKAzbS6sfPfEVmMtSKesgYUnYCmMbXPMGDIjYdrZ7-BZTReO1Hp6Oq8L5y9zPF33x1sKYd64GELlsA_rfjMp5yv7-N72DVwQIPB6buZh8UDd226ScezwjfqGDJPqon1ox2zOi4vY-lPhISmmYEwRXXQ94FjiR1I6M0iBhH56w-7Miqk54BS1oMDqeD-JIrNwuD5aspbsOKIR8ZG2ZkKDnOajfiRLpqaLxoieRhRi84%3D&attredirects=0|website=University of Alberta|access-date=2016-05-10|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="CNTD-VT" />
 | season                = [[tornadoes of 1987]]
}}

The '''Edmonton tornado''', also known as '''Black Friday''' to Edmontonians, was a powerful, and devastating [[tornado]] that ripped through the eastern parts of [[Edmonton]], [[Alberta]], Canada and parts of neighbouring [[Strathcona County]] on the afternoon of Friday, July&nbsp;31, 1987. It was one of seven other tornadoes in central Alberta the same day.<ref name="CNTD-VT" />

The tornado peaked at F4 on the [[Fujita scale]] and remained on the ground for an hour, cutting a swath of destruction {{convert|30.8|km|mi|abbr=on}} in length and up to {{convert|1.3|km|mi|abbr=on}} wide in some places.<ref name="CNTD-VT">{{cite web|title=Canadian National Tornado Database: Verified Events (1980-2009) - Public|url=http://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/a720afb1-c271-4fbc-b55c-7d242e1701b6|website=Open Canada|publisher=Environment Canada|access-date=2016-08-21|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160704225653/http://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/a720afb1-c271-4fbc-b55c-7d242e1701b6|archive-date=2016-07-04|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="rating">{{cite web  | title = Fact Sheet – Summer Severe Weather Warnings  | publisher = Environment Canada  | date = 2005-05-24  | url = http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/severe-weather/summerwx_factsheet_e.html  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090228151724/http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/severe-weather/summerwx_factsheet_e.html  | archive-date = 2009-02-28  | access-date = 2007-07-30 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>  It killed 27 people, and injured more than 300, destroyed more than 300 homes, and caused more than [[Canadian dollar|C$]]332.27&nbsp;million (equivalent to ${{Inflation|CA|332.27|1987|r=0|fmt=c}} million in {{Inflation/year|CA}}) in property damage at four major disaster sites. The loss of life, injuries and destruction of property made it the worst natural disaster in Alberta's recent history and the second deadliest tornado in Canada's history, after the [[Regina Cyclone]].

Weather forecasts issued during the morning and early afternoon of July&nbsp;31, 1987, for Edmonton revealed a recognition by [[Environment Canada]] of a high potential for unusually severe [[thunderstorms]] that afternoon. Environment Canada responded swiftly upon receipt of the first report of a tornado touchdown from a resident of [[Leduc County]] which is immediately adjacent to Edmonton's southern boundary.

== Meteorological synopsis ==
In the week preceding July&nbsp;31, a low pressure system sitting over southwestern [[British Columbia]] fed warm, humid air into central Alberta. Daytime heating along with near-record [[Dew point|dewpoints]] over Alberta triggered a series of strong thunderstorms that persisted throughout the week. On July&nbsp;31, a cold front developed over western Alberta, colliding with the warm moist air that persisted over the region. Forecasters recognized the elevated risk for severe weather early in the day.<ref name="Winds of Terror">{{cite web|title=Winds of Terror|url=http://apsts.alberta.ca/video/watch/1siliYpDcToEQ0ZE2uDZv8|access-date=May 16, 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130115052126/http://apsts.alberta.ca/video/watch/1siliYpDcToEQ0ZE2uDZv8|archive-date=January 15, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Weatheradio Canada|Weatheradio]] broadcasts and interviews with the media stressed "vicious thunderstorms" and "extremely strong and violent thunderstorms".<ref name="ECtornado">{{cite web|title=The Edmonton Tornado – Environment Canada (archive.org)|url=http://www.mb.ec.gc.ca/air/summersevere/edtornado.en.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021115073531/http://www.mb.ec.gc.ca/air/summersevere/edtornado.en.html
|archive-date=2002-11-15|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

=== Tornado summary ===
The storm passed east of Leduc, where the first tornado was reported by a weather spotter at 2:59&nbsp;pm. The tornado was on the ground briefly before dissipating. Shortly after 3:00&nbsp;pm, the tornado again touched down in the [[Beaumont, Alberta|Beaumont]] area, tossing granaries and farm equipment as it grew in size and strength.<ref name="The Edmonton Tornado">{{cite web|title=The Edmonton Tornado|url=http://apsts.alberta.ca/video/watch/3vZ5N8oON652dvyH3Ws0dB|access-date=2012-05-16|df=mdy-all|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130115170614/http://apsts.alberta.ca/video/watch/3vZ5N8oON652dvyH3Ws0dB|archive-date=January 15, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

At 3:04&nbsp;pm, a tornado warning was issued for the city. The tornado moved into the southeast portion of the city as a [[multiple-vortex tornado]], and tracked north along the eastern portions of [[Mill Woods, Edmonton|Mill Woods]], causing F2 to F3 damage. The tornado continued northward crossing the [[Sherwood Park Freeway]] and eventually hitting the [[Refinery Row (Edmonton)|Refinery Row]] area at F4 intensity. The tornado tossed several large oil tanks, levelled several industrial buildings, and several trailers were picked up and scattered at [[Laidlaw]] and Byers Transport.<ref name="A Commemorative Reflection on the Edmonton Tornado and Hailstorm, 1987">{{cite web|title=A Commemorative Reflection on the Edmonton Tornado and Hailstorm, 1987|url=http://datalib.library.ualberta.ca/tornado/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19981205003428/http://datalib.library.ualberta.ca/tornado/|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 5, 1998|access-date=May 16, 2012}}</ref> Grass scouring and windrowing of debris occurred, and damage in that area may have been borderline F5, but was never officially ranked as such.<ref>{{cite web |author=Max |url=http://extremeplanet.me/2012/07/16/some-of-the-most-powerful-tornadoes-outside-the-united-states-canada-france-and-japan/ |title=Powerful Tornadoes Outside the United States – Violent Tornadoes in France, Russia, South Africa, Poland, Canada and Japan &#124; |publisher=Extremeplanet.me |date=2012-07-16 |access-date=2017-07-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130903041310/http://extremeplanet.me/2012/07/16/some-of-the-most-powerful-tornadoes-outside-the-united-states-canada-france-and-japan/ |archive-date=September 3, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref>[[File:1987 Edmonton Tornado path.png|thumb|Path of the tornado]]The tornado weakened slightly as it passed over an open area between Baseline Road and the North Saskatchewan River. Still, it maintained F2 to F3 intensity as it tore through eastern parts of [[Clareview, Edmonton|Clareview]] toward 4:00&nbsp;pm, causing heavy damage to several homes in [[Kernohan, Edmonton|Kernohan]], [[Bannerman, Edmonton|Bannerman]] and [[Fraser, Edmonton|Fraser]] neighbourhoods.<ref name="A Commemorative Reflection on the Edmonton Tornado and Hailstorm, 1987" />

{{Tornado chart|F0=4|F1=1|F2=2|F3=0|F4=1|Total=8}}

===Other tornadoes===
Not including the F4 tornado, seven other tornadoes were reported. An F2 tornado touched down near [[Beaumont, Alberta|Beaumont]], south of Edmonton. It travelled through countryside east of Edmonton. Twenty-two minutes after the first tornado touchdown an F1 tornado touched down in [[Southeast Edmonton]] in an area that was mostly farmland. It travelled {{convert|7.26|km|mi|abbr=on}}. There were also three F0 tornadoes in the [[Edmonton Metropolitan Region|Edmonton Area]] (to the north, northwest, and southwest) but too far away to be seen from the city.<ref name="CNTD-VT" /><ref name="Other Tornados">{{cite web|title=Chapter 3 -J Other tornadoes in greater Edmonton|url=https://sites.google.com/a/ualberta.ca/tornado/home/chapt4|website=A Commemorative Reflection On The Edmonton Tornado And Hail|access-date=June 23, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161001232123/https://sites.google.com/a/ualberta.ca/tornado/home/chapt4|archive-date=October 1, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

Farther from the Edmonton area, an F2 tornado touched down in farmland between [[Millet, Alberta|Millet]] and [[Vegreville]] and remained on the ground for {{convert|52|km|mi|abbr=on}}, causing $40,000 in damages.<ref name="web.archive.org">{{cite web|title=The Edmonton Tornado – Environment Canada (archive.org)|url=http://www.mb.ec.gc.ca/air/summersevere/edtornado.en.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021115073531/http://www.mb.ec.gc.ca/air/summersevere/edtornado.en.html|archive-date=2002-11-15}}</ref><ref name="CNTD-VT" />

== Post-disaster response ==
The [[Emergency Public Warning System]], later replaced by [[Alberta Emergency Alert]], was developed as a result of the 1987 tornado disaster.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.emergencyalert.alberta.ca/content/about/aboutprogram.html |title=Program History |work=Alberta Emergency Alert |publisher=Government of Alberta |access-date=November 11, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120925201323/http://www.emergencyalert.alberta.ca/content/about/aboutprogram.html |archive-date=September 25, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[warning system]] breaks into private and public broadcasts on radio, television and cable systems. It alerts the public for all [[disaster]] [[hazard]]s that threaten to strike with little or no warning. The warning system is also used for issuing [[Amber Alert]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20021203/alberta_amber_alert_021202/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030524173906/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20021203/alberta_amber_alert_021202/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=2003-05-24 |title=Alberta launches 'Amber Alert' kidnap system |date=2002-12-02 |agency=Canadian Press |publisher=CTV.ca |access-date=2012-07-30 |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

The tornado had also resulted in the first implementation of the [[Weather radar#Velocity|Doppler weather radar]] concept in Canada in the early 1990s. Edmonton's [[Carvel, Alberta|Carvel]] radar was one of only three Dopplers to exist in Canada at the time. It later became part of the [[Canadian weather radar network]], which was Dopplerized starting in 1998.<ref name="PaulLapczak">{{cite conference
 |url          = http://copernicus.org/erad/online/erad-370.pdf
 |title        = Evolution of the Canadian Operational Radar Network
 |last1        = Joe
 |first1       = Paul
 |last2        = Lapczak
 |first2       = Steve
 |date         = 2002
 |book-title   = Proceedings
 |conference   = 2nd European Conference on Radar in Meteorology and Hydrology
 |pages        = 370–382
 |location     = [[Delft]], Netherlands
 |access-date   = March 1, 2016
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20110721154416/http://copernicus.org/erad/online/erad-370.pdf
 |archive-date = July 21, 2011
 |url-status   = live
}}</ref>

== In media==
The song "Tornado '87" by [[The Rural Alberta Advantage]], on their 2011 album ''[[Departing (album)|Departing]]'', was inspired by singer Nils Edenloff's experience as a child surviving the tornado.<ref name="IFC">{{cite web|title=Exclusive premiere: The Rural Alberta Advantage "Tornado '87"|url=http://www.ifc.com/fix/2011/11/premiere-the-rural-alberta-advantage-tornado-87|publisher=[[IFC (U.S. TV network)|IFC]]|date=2011-11-11|df=mdy-all|access-date=September 10, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140929114811/http://www.ifc.com/fix/2011/11/premiere-the-rural-alberta-advantage-tornado-87|archive-date=September 29, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[List of tornadoes and tornado outbreaks]]
** [[List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks]]
** [[List of Canadian tornadoes]]
* [[Tornado myths]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{cite web|url=http://datalib.library.ualberta.ca/tornado/|title=University of Alberta Libraries|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130101134301/http://datalib.library.ualberta.ca/tornado/|archive-date=January 1, 2013|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}
* [http://archives.cbc.ca/IDC-1-70-1713-11760/disasters_tragedies/tornadoes/clip8 CBC Broadcast Archive]
* [https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/tornado-season-off-to-deadly-start-1.174524 Tornadoes in Canada, CBC.ca]
* [http://www.edmontonsun.com/2012/07/31/remembering-black-friday-in-edmonton Photos of the Edmonton tornado]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaOk0LC6RaM CTV News' YouTube video of Edmonton Tornado]

{{1987 tornado outbreaks}}
{{Edmonton}}
{{10 deadliest Canadian tornadoes}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:1987-07-31 Edmonton tornado}}
[[Category:F4, EF4 and IF4 tornadoes]]
[[Category:History of Edmonton]]
[[Category:1987 in Alberta]]
[[Category:Tornadoes of 1987]]
[[Category:Natural disasters in Alberta]]
[[Category:Tornadoes in Canada]]
[[Category:July 1987 in Canada]]
[[Category:1987 disasters in Canada]]