'I kind of freaked out': Tornado sweeps through farmland near Crossfield, Alta.

Residents in parts of southern Alberta were warned to take shelter after a tornado touched down near Crossfield Sunday.

Meteorologist Blaine Lowry confirmed the tornado touched down just northeast of the town around 2:15 p.m.

At 3:30 p.m., the Emergency Alert was lifted for the region, but severe thunderstorm warnings were still in place.

Environment Canada said it was tracking a line of thunderstorms which produced the tornado and multiple funnel clouds. As of 4:50 p.m. it was located near Michichi to East Coulee and moving east at 45 km/h.

The farmer actually saw the water sucked out of the water containers for the horses, and watched it rip the fence up.- Russ Cann

"This is a dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation," the agency wrote, adding that the thunderstorm could produce strong wind gusts, up to toonie-sized hail and heavy rain.

Storm chaser Russ Cann says the tornado's behaviour was unexpected, touching down extremely quickly after it began to form.

"Usually in a normal storm, a normal supercell, you're on that thing for like an hour … it's when I saw that it actually hit the farm, when I drove up and saw the trailer laying on the side of the road, then I kind of freaked out," Cann said.

Cann said after he spotted debris he stopped chasing the storm and went to check on a nearby home to see if the occupants were OK.

The tornado had grazed the side of the home and ripped up fences, so the homeowners were out trying to round up their animals. No people or animals were hurt at that farm. 

A neighbour's RV was destroyed. 

"All the planters on the front of the house were thrown everywhere," he said. "The farmer actually saw the water sucked out of the water containers for the horses, and watched it rip the fence up."

Kelly Campbell, the owner of the RV, said she got a call shortly after the tornado warning. Her neighbour told her "I'm sorry your trailer went for a ride."

When she arrived to see the condition it was in, the only part left standing was the toilet.

She said she was glad she wasn't there when it happened. 

"I couldn't imagine watching it from my house, I would have been terrified. But as awful as it was, it could have been a lot worse."

Multiple funnel clouds were spotted in the Crossfield area.

Crossfield is approximately 30 kilometres north of Calgary, which is also under a thunderstorm watch, with risk of tornado.

An up-to-date list of weather warnings is available on the Environment Canada website.