$ q& b1 u8 [9 whttp://images.ctv.ca/archives/CTVNews/img2/20050819/160_toronto_storm_050819.jpg ( }8 ?% L7 f( g7 q " g1 p, T4 \1 V; A1 D- g+ rhttp://images.ctv.ca/archives/CTVNews/img2/20050819/160_toronto_flood_050819.jpg+ D0 n' \/ x8 S/ k3 H) Q
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southwestern toronto and northern toronto was hit by a tornado9 X& O* E' _& M3 O; g- n! {
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the southeastern toronto had only a severe storm, no severe damage. , ]6 Z' T; h, p9 }4 I1 c! z0 `( t; k$ ]- p
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***********************************************************" k2 S9 J5 n4 K+ v6 J Residents of southern Ontario town pick up pieces after confirmed tornado . l4 m |6 s& S" ^7 xby: PAUL CHOI , ^7 \4 G" m4 d2 t4 Y% RSat Aug 20, 3:47 PM ET 8 O% f/ o d4 t7 B& J% Q( R& D0 ~ ! Q7 B/ W" G4 `7 ^- w2 a* q + X. f l1 e9 u& N* tTORONTO (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.; z, m; J/ i5 H& `3 j0 \
& X7 A; p1 f8 K* {' fThe 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.* i9 e5 j$ D6 U2 E0 C
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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. - P- b9 o! \, E9 H# J9 ]* W8 K/ d4 s( x% H9 T7 ]8 o( Y
"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."- y8 z6 N! _2 k) d) |% C/ G
$ j( {' e# k B! y8 F8 N. ^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. 6 S% x! w% @7 }. ? $ e Y, o$ Y- C# }+ O! D" qElsewhere 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 H2 S- F4 \' Q" o; {9 ?
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"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." 8 v: `3 ^; k U1 @ & P9 ^( I5 N/ b: x) COn Friday, a state of emergency was declared in the community of Centre Wellington, which includes Fergus, after the storm got out of hand.$ F# c3 ^3 G% D# ~& j V6 J( H
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Amidst the wreckage, no serious injuries were reported, provincial police said.- N8 @, O' M( `; P% S0 j0 S
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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."$ r& x; O, J+ X* i; b9 a6 J
/ |! b$ e( E0 f x% D- \6 y0 AFergus resident Klaus Doerig and his wife, Judy, were at home when the skies turned menacingly grey and tree limbs began flying past their window.. Q) L. r* E6 H1 c
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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.$ k& ~ i3 Z! D
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"We were selling this house," he said. "It was for our retirement. Who would want to buy my house now?" 6 x% \5 U* M$ w j4 l' q* o - K) ]# N5 s/ X, lOfficials continued studying the aftermath in other areas of southern Ontario Saturday afternoon, trying to determine if other regions were hit by tornadoes. 6 w: r# X! {6 a, P1 \5 ]' \/ Z& i7 I. H T
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. # X- `0 B6 Q5 a+ i% G. I4 |& w
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. 5 s! l$ }9 J( @6 v# Y) I5 B% G / J9 {: d7 m% f6 w, F"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. 9 Z7 c1 ]; Z2 t8 J+ [" V( c/ _5 c3 _, W2 G& ]
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. 9 O* U* V) ^8 w2 C. I2 i$ w6 L+ h
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The majority of residents were to have power restored by Saturday night, Welsh said. / d- T$ a! I' c& A; V
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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. 4 l, C# d& ]8 `5 _
; C7 E8 |& d% Q5 fDuring 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. 5 q- n+ z% ~" z! q 3 _+ O W% |- W5 i ^' |But flood waters receded rather rapidly and emergency services were quick to respond. . l5 T( S( I& M. y% z! q% R8 e6 ]5 ]$ K# f, |9 g2 b/ z
"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. 5 i% s4 t& s; i7 W2 W# O# [# O# J* x* v! A. _" w+ A- p
"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.. G4 F$ f( \9 U# i