Tornado hit Blenheim, downburst caused damage in Harrow and Kingsville
Tornado in Blenheim area designated an EF-1
A tornado touched down in Blenheim, while Harrow and Kingsville both experienced a downburst during Wednesday's severe summer storm ripped across southwestern Ontario, researchers have now concluded.
The Northern Tornadoes Project — a group of Western University researchers — was in the area Thursday to survey damage, and released its findings Friday afternoon.
The tornado crossed the northern end of Blenheim and has been designated an EF-1.
In the Harrow and Kingsville areas, a downburst caused damage equivalent to an EF-1.
Marinus Lips, 83, lives in the path of the tornado. He said he didn't initially realize a massive tree in his yard had come down in the storm.
"We didn't even know these trees went down because there was .. a lot of noise with the wind," Lips said. "It was pretty rough actually.
"We should have actually gone downstairs but we didn't it... it is unreal and it came up so fast before you could do anything it was over."
WATCH: In the wake of Blenheim's tornado, residents say plenty of trees and other damage abounds
David Dowker, another neighbour who lives in the area, said he's lucky his home wasn't badly damaged — but there's plenty of work ahead as they get the area cleaned up.
"Lot of roofs, shingles, plywood gone, trees ripped out of the ground," Dowker said.
But it's not unprecedented — Dowker noted the first storm, just a week before, that blew thorough the region.
Tornados are measured on the enhanced Fujita (EF) scale — which ranges from EF-0 to EF-5.
The tornado hit Blenheim at 4:35 p.m. and damaged homes, sheds and trees in the region. No injuries were reported, but researchers noted crop damage along a nearly 10-kilometre stretch. The estimated maximum wind speed was about 160 km/h.
In Harrow and Kingsville, a downburst reached wind speeds of 145 km/h and damaged power poles and trees.
In a downburst, NTP researchers say winds descend and diverge from underneath a storm, resulting in an "outward burst" pattern of damage, compared to the longer and narrower paths of damage caused by tornados.
WATCH | Harrow, Ont., residents react to storm damage, trees hitting their homes
Aaron Jaffe, a wind impacts researcher with the Northern Tornadoes Project, said the region has had bad luck recently. A strong storm last week brought downbursts and two tornadoes in South Buxton and Petrolia.
"The most important thing is nobody's been severely hurt or or killed in these past couple storms. But that's not to minimize the damage that has been caused to several homes and properties that is obviously significantly affecting people's lives," Jaffe said.
"That's why NTP is always working towards improving the prediction of these tornadoes and building resiliency for them so that we can mitigate these things in the future."
Jaffe said the typical tornado season in Canada stretches from May to September — so Windsor and Essex County are in the thick of it right now.
"I wouldn't expect a storm like this to hit that area every single week, but definitely there will be more storms throughout August, being one of our busiest months."
Parts of Chatham-Kent and Essex County remain in cleanup mode from storms that swept through on Wednesday.
Mature trees were toppled, homes damaged and electricity lines brought down.
With files from Dax Melmer, TJ Dhir and Windsor Morning