Close Encounter: Lyla Nickles’ astonishing first encounter with a tornado

ECA Review/Submitted

It was the first time Lyla Nickles had ever seen a tornado, and it was right across the fence from her.

Nickles and her family had moved to Stettler, Alta. at the end of April. When the tornado touched down on Wed. May 31, near Stettler she was among the many people to see it up close.

While Nickles said she did not expect to see a tornado, it was really cool to see one so close but also scary.

“I literally used to look up at the clouds when I was like three years old, and look for tornadoes, and I finally got to see one,” Nickles said.

Leading up to the tornado, Nickles explained how she was outside like any other day, talking with her dad and his friend when the tornado formed.

“We were looking at a field farther away. And we saw a little tornado. We were like, is that like a dust devil or something? And then my dad’s friend, he’s like, ‘Whoa’, look over there. And I look to my right, and there’s just a giant tornado right beside us forming,” Nickles said.

While the tornado captured many people’s attention, no damage or harm was caused.

Article published by East Central Alberta Review