8 R8 m; K9 A, v3 G$ jsouthwestern toronto and northern toronto was hit by a tornado ; T, C* a3 Q% c $ o- S- W$ b$ i8 \% u, h+ |, & L2 c0 J, _3 X4 y% H' i& n0 Y) g) X b( I
the southeastern toronto had only a severe storm, no severe damage.) I& B) G+ w- U9 I: I6 a4 j# G
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5 B$ h8 A0 ~( o1 s*********************************************************** ! j) `7 ~; ^. w( [Residents of southern Ontario town pick up pieces after confirmed tornado 2 T' V2 z6 }6 K/ a; Kby: PAUL CHOI 1 b3 h0 ?* `$ N0 PSat Aug 20, 3:47 PM ET 6 k( @5 s8 A8 J0 H; g; V 3 H' d% W) f- I `. c4 p7 {9 Z8 F8 X- D2 p: F& a" `
TORONTO (CP) - Residents of southwestern Ontario were picking up the pieces Saturday, and in some cases waiting for the power to be turned on, after a tornado touched down during a stampede of fierce storms a day earlier. $ y) f5 m9 J+ q+ o7 J! w - b' Y0 Y% y) ?3 L, f/ e! l4 hThe severe weather, which developed due to humid and unstable air, began in Milverton, Ont., Friday afternoon and quickly gained steam as it moved east towards Fergus, a community near Conestoga Lake. 7 {7 c# X/ t# v0 U e/ \1 X, L( W0 J4 d' n1 ~
It was here, officials said, where the storm spawned a full-fledged twister close to 300 metres wide that chewed off tree limbs, downed power lines, tossed cars into ditches, and ripped into several homes and barns.. g: d1 @" p0 R4 V+ c0 x
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"We've confirmed at this location a Fujita scale F2 tornado occurred, with winds between 180 to 240 kilometres an hour," said Environment Canada meteorologist Geoff Coulson on Saturday. "That's confirmed with the damage that we've witnessed."6 o$ l) E6 L- B' ~1 O0 [ y& j2 E
; S. D! ^8 }/ @) v! r- uA two-storey home in the area had its roof torn clean off and a barn behind the home was levelled to its foundation, Coulson said, all damage consistent with a severe tornado.' g+ Z& P, ~! `, g! F: K
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Elsewhere on a nearby highway, a wooden plank was driven into the windshield of a vehicle, another sign of extensive impact damage typically associated with a twister. ( ~9 F0 f- I& E6 s. ~, r2 ^3 r5 Z& W# w K
"A tell-tale sign it was tornadic as opposed to just strong winds was the fact there's (mud) splatter on more than one side of a house," he said. "If it had been one wind gust there would be one side with the splatter." 2 ~8 }. X( @& h+ T/ O+ G @! n! D G
On Friday, a state of emergency was declared in the community of Centre Wellington, which includes Fergus, after the storm got out of hand.' c+ x4 W( R) |7 ?/ }/ E3 C f
7 p* N, b9 f4 M; [: P- ?, K8 i- m$ hAmidst the wreckage, no serious injuries were reported, provincial police said.# T+ M6 ]) J3 \7 s" a; f6 `9 y
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"That's pretty amazing given the damage we're seeing here," Coulson said. "(Many) did exactly the right thing. They got into the basement and waited the storm out down there." 1 H( }) K/ j% T, q: P7 ^% Y* O$ u4 H- r K+ X U+ Z
Fergus resident Klaus Doerig and his wife, Judy, were at home when the skies turned menacingly grey and tree limbs began flying past their window. ) g4 r+ u3 s1 I5 m3 I8 e/ |7 b: \8 @, _4 H# z! m
They hunkered down in the furnace room and emerged to find the roof of their home had been partially ripped off and a wall was destroyed./ @5 B- M* @/ l. v D1 B3 E/ M/ `
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"We were selling this house," he said. "It was for our retirement. Who would want to buy my house now?" 0 l2 ? ?3 o5 c S' \* A& b) e3 j j9 p& _
Officials continued studying the aftermath in other areas of southern Ontario Saturday afternoon, trying to determine if other regions were hit by tornadoes.# h, @0 H9 ~9 N5 O& t
& d2 t s% ]# o0 \* ?/ TAided by an Ontario Provincial Police helicopter, Environment Canada investigators conducted full aerial surveys of the Milverton area, where the storm began, and areas further east. $ E3 N3 T- D/ l( a+ B- j1 w: W3 m3 ^6 T6 G: g" N
Coulson said officials reported what appeared to be a one-kilometre wide swath of tree damage near Conestoga Lake. They were looking into whether it was the work of a twister. 6 B" }! X1 L8 H7 Q$ S+ }/ I& v2 Y- t, I8 y3 g% U
"The big thing for us is going to be to try to link up these different reports to see if it was in fact one long-lived tornado on the ground or a series of tornadoes," he said.! p) m" o& A4 p# t" \- @; S) A5 x8 q
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Due to the storm, nearly 4,400 people were left without power in Fergus and its surrounding areas on Saturday, said Hydro One spokeswoman Kathleen Welsh. 0 I# O# w+ {4 Y0 `, H" P# F- u9 Y5 k H, E; n
The majority of residents were to have power restored by Saturday night, Welsh said. : |: C! N6 a% j* ? X8 W# [* K/ {- e* ^7 [
Meanwhile in Toronto, crews were cleaning up from the localized flash flooding that had paralyzed much of the city's main roadways and transit routes, drowning vehicles and leaving motorists knee-deep in water. In one extreme case, flood waters managed to wash away an entire section of road. ; b4 S6 l! A( z- A! y& @) W 0 a0 }! G4 e1 V$ @% V% f! \During the height of the storm, around the time of the afternoon commute home, officials say the city received over 1,700 calls to emergency services. 9 K4 h& `; J; ?3 m/ \4 o/ X3 T! M2 y
But flood waters receded rather rapidly and emergency services were quick to respond. 3 X( L- o- n6 ]" D
' o8 F% U4 \! R! r' @' j"The city's emergency services and the staff that manage our water, transportation, hydro and forests did a fantastic job of keeping the public safe and protecting the assets of the city," said Toronto Mayor David Miller in a statement. * c& o, m+ u) c$ i/ \ Z" m# |4 u+ |2 X+ `) v# s"Emergency services personnel were involved in a number of rescues, evacuations and emergency pumping operations and their work prevented serious injuries or death," he said. 6 J8 q9 p/ ^: ~- w# c2 M . ^7 o! k `( b! r% X********************************************************************作者: daniel1989723 時間: 2005-8-25 03:59 AM