Storm spawned 3 tornadoes near Davidson, Sask.: Eyewitness

Saskatchewan's living skies were full of energy Tuesday night with confirmed tornado sightings in the Davidson area.

Ricky Forbes is with the television program Tornado Hunters.

"We saw some storm cells brewing up and we tracked them over the course of about two to three hours and we saw three tornadoes touch down," Forbes said Wednesday, adding that one of the larger storm cells spawned multiple tornadoes.

• Environment Canada confirms tornado near Davidson, Sask.

Forbes said the crew following the storm was about one kilometre away and also encountered hail pellets the size of golf balls.

"It was getting bigger ... and at that point it starts to crack your windshield. It gets dangerous and we stepped back," he said. "As fun as storm chasing is, you have to stay safe."

According to Forbes there was some damage done to a farmyard where the tornado peeled away the roof of a workshop.

He said there was no immediate estimate of the wind speed associated with the tornadoes.

"I would say about middle of the pack," he said, comparing it to others he has seen. "Each one touched down for about three to five minutes."

Davidson is about 115 kilometres southeast of Saskatoon.

Damage to farm

A farm in the area, belonging to the Willner family, was hit by the destructive power of the tornado.

It toppled steel grain bins, tossed appliances around like toys and demolished a shed.

"We were expecting a hail storm," Gord Willner said Wednesday, recalling the night before. "All of a sudden it stopped hailing and the tornado dropped down right in the middle of the yard and we went into the basement."

He remembers hearing a lot of noise for a few minutes and then, when it sounded safe enough to do so, they ventured out to find their yard in shambles.

"It's pretty bad," he said Wednesday as clean up continued. They lost a shop, two barns, several grain bins and many large trees.

Fortunately, he said, none of their machinery was ruined.

Throughout the day, he said, people from the area had been at the farm helping salvage what they could and clear away debris.

"Good people," he said, reflecting on the outpouring of help from friends, family and neighbours.

"We have some insurance," he said. "Not enough to rebuild everything that's gone."

He said they will likely make sure their cow operation is rebuilt and fix the damage to their house.

Willner noted the family has been farming in the area since 1902.