OTTAWA, Ontario — At least one person was injured, and 125 homes were damaged just south of Ottawa, Canada, after severe storms spawned tornadoes and gusty winds on Thursday. On top of the damage, the storm resulted in nearly thousands of power outages across parts of Ontario and southern Quebec.
“ One resident sustained minor injuries,” said Kim Ayotte, general manager of emergency and protective services for the City of Ottawa, Global News reported.
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) confirmed that at least one tornado touched down in Barrhaven, located south of Ottawa. According to the agency, a survey team will conduct an assessment on Friday.
“Damage reported included roof damage, broken windows, power and utility outages, as well as damage to trees,” said ECCC spokesperson to The Weather Network. “At this time, the damage reported seems to be western portions of Barrhaven.”
The utility company Hydro Quebec reported 392,000 customers were affected by storm-related power outages during the peak of the severe weather on Thursday. As of Friday morning, only 1,200 customers remained without power.
Barrhaven resident Tomislav Mitar told CTV News that although the storm lasted only 30 to 45 seconds, it caused significant damage.
“I looked out the window and into my backyard, and it looked almost like it was snowing, which I found very bizarre. I later realized it was actually the insulation from somebody’s roof,” said Barrhaven resident Tomislav Mitar to CTV News Channel. “The next thing I saw was metal patio furniture going at a tremendous amount of speed, flying across and smashing into my neighbor’s fence.”
A video shared on Twitter showed the moment the tornado started ripping shingles off the roofs of several houses in Barrhaven on Tuesday.
Steve Hiller told CBC News that he was visiting friends in the area when he got the storm warning. After the storm passed, Hiller recalled just how terrifying the noise was.
“Then there was just this massive boom like I’ve never heard before, like a bomb going off,” Hiller recalled to CBC News. “The glass then just blew… The rain was coming in, glass everywhere, bits of roof combing down inside.”
A video shared on Twitter showed the damage one house sustained from the twister on Thursday. The truck in the driveway was dented from hailstones and flying debris while several roof pieces were lying on the ground.
“My house getting hit by a tornado wasn’t in my plans for today,” the Twitter user wrote in her post.
In addition to the tornado in Ontario, the ECCC confirmed Thursday’s storm system spawned two additional tornadoes in southern Quebec. The first one touched down north of Montreal, while the second reportedly hit Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, a town located southwest of Montreal.
According to Global News, both twisters resulted in minimal damage.
Produced in association with AccuWeather
Edited by Judy J. Rotich and Newsdesk Manager
