The deadly Black Friday tornado in 1987 hit Edmonton, Canada.
The Edmonton tornado tore through eastern Edmonton and neighboring Strathcona County on Friday, July 31, 1987. Its local nickname, “Black Friday,” reflects the scale of the disaster rather than a connection to the modern shopping term. The tornado remained on the ground for about an hour and carved a path more than 30 kilometers long.
The storm reached F4 intensity on the Fujita scale, with estimated maximum winds of about 418 km/h. It damaged or destroyed homes, industrial buildings, trailers, and oil-storage facilities. Large hail accompanied the storm, with reports of stones at least the size of tennis balls.
Edmonton is sometimes confused with Calgary or other Alberta cities because several tornadoes occurred in central Alberta that day. However, the major, highly destructive tornado associated with Black Friday struck Edmonton and continued into nearby Strathcona County. The disaster helped spur improvements to Alberta’s public emergency-warning system and Canadian weather radar.