8 k: p. q1 L6 A5 r& j6 yhttp://images.ctv.ca/archives/CTVNews/img2/20050819/160_toronto_flood_050819.jpg 4 z4 C. |) x$ Q7 G/ _6 x+ d* Z! k9 R9 P# `7 \
southwestern toronto and northern toronto was hit by a tornado( V9 {6 M) v5 g# Z' l
0 j) U4 q/ i4 ^* R0 j3 Y
, # }! U0 g8 Z4 K! R* k h! t+ ]# L$ v
the southeastern toronto had only a severe storm, no severe damage. # f6 ^8 x0 T( d0 S) I) w% m) f1 M# Y) i& H( m" @# M
5 ]! ]+ o6 d4 {*********************************************************** / w; _1 N, V8 }/ e! q0 `% [6 |Residents of southern Ontario town pick up pieces after confirmed tornado ; J/ y$ M2 e% h7 k$ |. i3 Nby: PAUL CHOI # _" g* r7 q' X# R+ eSat Aug 20, 3:47 PM ET $ z7 y, l) e4 n! e% p! M4 | : E4 _: }$ G/ x * C' ~8 e, ~" c3 F" v/ X/ fTORONTO (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. 9 h# l# o- \3 I5 H- g 4 l- w" g2 @ tThe 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. 9 I1 p9 R4 }0 ?2 l% J' _, z% ?+ h4 {5 b. m8 ~8 H! b& V
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.6 X0 ^& x$ R! b3 ] m
- D# F: Q. ^3 t. Q2 U: X! y2 d"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." ; x7 U6 @8 r' \9 d' l# K7 \' K1 H4 X" ^! a
A 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. ; e* l3 S5 A7 s* x - z0 k y: g. P: W0 N; ^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. $ u5 v/ |1 E7 B3 w G ; I1 D: M- n& M% C4 s0 q1 t5 A"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."6 o2 a4 b7 ~) v4 h: z
" u; ~8 \9 V+ f: D; t9 T
On Friday, a state of emergency was declared in the community of Centre Wellington, which includes Fergus, after the storm got out of hand. - k, ]& \2 m W1 g$ x( e \) t, K4 J
Amidst the wreckage, no serious injuries were reported, provincial police said.+ n1 I5 u7 R$ r; Q6 k3 o
1 x5 ]1 t0 n& ~/ O4 d+ e' l& ^"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." " w% h' p7 u6 Z2 q, j* J$ ?7 A5 d7 \& y) k! k# u9 A- B
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. 4 R3 k- w( M5 s0 Y, b2 ]# q7 S 0 p% o) T0 \* b* uThey 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. 3 I4 v0 |1 k+ o+ N9 m, Y5 i1 k6 ]! T- m6 K. `7 s
"We were selling this house," he said. "It was for our retirement. Who would want to buy my house now?" 9 N j) Q. }4 e7 k9 z : _% z9 a0 J/ M/ AOfficials continued studying the aftermath in other areas of southern Ontario Saturday afternoon, trying to determine if other regions were hit by tornadoes. & _2 J B( E6 Q- ?8 P( X' H- K: G( v- ~' u6 p: q, v+ O
Aided 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.3 c% J8 V: u' F; O# c5 t
9 `- u4 R4 ?8 {6 o& H
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. ! r) n0 s: N4 _0 m8 ~ 2 I3 V* ]( j2 A0 k2 h"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.5 n1 D& S$ f. A! W/ d4 t$ J! l
2 E1 M2 n9 j3 U: q# IDue 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. 4 w: @2 y4 y: J
$ h7 C ~$ {3 Q2 LThe majority of residents were to have power restored by Saturday night, Welsh said. ) e9 x+ \+ w! K9 u9 |& l
! j" h/ y" g2 D% `7 Y1 oMeanwhile 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. 6 J, r/ K9 ]( C. |1 a. N% a, m% r, a% `( u9 I1 _
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. 2 _( b9 Y8 L& p W3 b9 U % s( S# U9 X7 KBut flood waters receded rather rapidly and emergency services were quick to respond. " h4 L5 v4 k7 z1 G' b' |' c6 q* z+ _4 u q1 V% [; o" ^7 R
"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. 6 e, b+ e* i. d+ R
4 j: m# k) S: T
"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." V i' U7 |6 X- Q