Elisa Humphreys was sitting on the couch on Saturday morning, still in her pyjamas and enjoying a coffee, looking over notes for a staff meeting for the following work week. That is when she received an emergency alert on her phone. She looked outside and saw that a tornado was heading toward her property.

Humphreys, who has lived for a decade on the 143-acre property just northeast of Carstairs, did not hesitate. She grabbed her purse and with her cat and dog in tow she made her way to her car.

"I knew it was happening and I knew it was very dangerous. By the time I got down to my gate, I could see that it [the tornado] was down to the ground," Humphreys said. "I went west to get in behind it and I watched it come over, destroying everything in its path," she said. 

According to Mountain View County officials, the tornado had touched down approximately 2 kilometres north of the Town of Carstairs on Saturday afternoon and had left at least nine residences damaged by the tornado. According to Didsbury RCMP, five homes were completely destroyed.

When Humphreys' was finally able to make it back to her property, only then did she realize the devastation the tornado had left in its wake.

"There was nothing here. It was completely flattened. Everything was gone. It looked like an airplane crash and the debris was just spread over the field."

She estimates that the damage is in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Her home and another trailer which was sitting on the property waiting to be moved onto a foundation for a home - were obliterated. But it wasn't just the structural damage that she was met with. Having left behind three horses, Humphreys said that her 'emergency mode' instinct kicked in as two of her horses had been left in a neighbouring field.

"I needed to get to them first to see how badly injured they were and I found a vet as I was walking across to them, and then stood with them and found a neighbour who came down with a horse trailer to evacuate them to the vet clinic. But unfortunately, one of them [a pony] we had to euthanize on the spot."

She proceeded to call her son Jared Wesley, an Airdrie resident who had been preparing to go with his family to the Airdrie Pro-Rodeo.

"I had gotten the [emergency alert] in Airdrie as well. I don't know why, but I told my wife that I don't think we should go to the rodeo. I feel like there's going to be a tornado," Wesley said. "As we were having that conversation, [my mom called] and said she was going to need help and that I needed to get out there. She's a resilient woman; she wouldn't say that to me if it wasn't a serious issue."

While her family was ready to help, what occurred next was something that overwhelmed both her and her son. After Humphreys posted a plea to social media for volunteers to help her clean the property up they did show up - in the hundreds. The number of people coming to the property was so overwhelming that traffic control had to be set up near the property. 

"I don't know... it just snowballed. I just think anybody in this area is probably helping somewhere right now because this is a wonderful community," she said.

Humphreys said that outpouring of support has also solidified another decision for her - the decision to stay in the area despite the havoc that the tornado wreaked upon the area.

"We were wondering - do we sell the property or do we keep living here? But after seeing all these people come out, I think I want to stay out in this area now; it's amazing."

The throngs of strangers and friends alike who flocked to her property are all the more overwhelming as Humphreys' entire life has been dedicated to helping others. Humphreys is the founder of Clothing for a Cause, an organization which utilizes recycled clothing and other household items to provide financial aid to other charitable organizations.

"There's just something about this disaster here at my property and all these people coming and helping. It's very new to me because I'm used to helping other people," she said. 

Her son said that it is difficult to encapsulate in words the feelings that they are processing as they navigate through the devastation, but also the support.

"There's something special about the small communities, but I think Alberta is also a special place and there's just a lot of good people here in this province and when push comes to shove, they are willing to go put on some work gloves and go help their neighbours," he said.

But the help hasn't just come in the form of people coming to the property. Over $10,000 has been raised for Humphreys after her son started a Gofundme campaign. 

"[My mom] lives very modestly. Paying herself only the minimum she needs to live, to ensure Clothing For A Cause can support the people and organizations that rely on her. Any support you can offer will go a long way to help a woman who has dedicated her life to helping everyone else, often at her own expense. I am heartbroken to watch her go through this," he wrote on the campaign's page. 

Mountain View County has also established a Facebook page for all those affected by the tornado. The page has been inundated with residents thanking others for help in cleaning up their properties as well as information on donations.

"My faith in people is restored; seeing them come out here. It's just amazing; all of these people are out here. It's been transformative for me," Humphreys said. 

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