Cleanup begins after tornado rips through south Ottawa
Environment Canada confirmed tornado northwest of Metcalfe
Residents in parts of southern Ottawa are left picking up debris after a tornado tore through the area Thursday evening.
Environment Canada confirmed a tornado formed northwest of Metcalfe, a community in rural south Ottawa.
No reported injuries were associated with the storm, Ottawa Paramedic Service said on Thursday evening. But residents across the area reported hail, driving winds and downed trees.
Jacques Jodoin, who lives near Kelly Farm Drive in Ottawa's Findlay Creek neighbourhood, said he saw from his backyard a funnel cloud forming.
"I saw the turning... cushions and garbage bins and everything turning," he said. "I saw everything turning and grabbing speed so then I ran in the house and went downstairs with my family."
According to a 6:53 p.m. news release from Environment Canada, the tornado was located nine kilometres northwest of Metcalfe moving east at 50 km/h.
Associated hazards included hail the size of ping pong balls and wind gusts of up to 90 km/h, the agency said.
Moments before, Environment Canada had issued its second tornado warning of the day for the area of Ottawa North-Kanata-Orléans.
Such storms are 'new to Ottawa,' resident says
The storm toppled fences, uprooted trees and downed power lines along Albion Road South.
Steve Spratt's property was among those damaged in the storm. Spratt said he was too busy chasing down his barbecue to notice that a huge tree in his front yard had toppled over. The Spratt family also owns the house next door, where a backyard shed was destroyed.
Spratt said he's shocked that such storms appear to be growing more common in the region.
Tornadoes hit the area three weeks ago, while a strong wind and hailstorm followed last Friday.
"This is new to Ottawa, and new to us," Spratt said. "We grew up in Ottawa and this wasn't happening when I was a kid."
Michel Simonot echoed Spratt and said he felt unprepared for when a hole was torn in the roof of his house.
"A tornado hits your house and it's like, what do you do? This is a new thing for Ottawa," he said. "[I feel] very overwhelmed … I haven't settled yet from the adrenaline."
In a tweet, Ottawa Fire Services (OFS) said part of a roof had been ripped off a home on the 4000 block of Canyon Drive in Riverside South.
OFS also said in a tweet it had closed Albion Road in both directions just north of the Rideau Carleton Casino due to downed trees and wires.
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OttNews?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OttNews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ottawa?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ottawa</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OttawaStorm?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OttawaStorm</a> <a href="https://t.co/9SjgvBvaBt">https://t.co/9SjgvBvaBt</a> <a href="https://t.co/PlmRHsVUcA">pic.twitter.com/PlmRHsVUcA</a>
—@OttFireSteve Desroches, city councillor for Riverside South-Findlay, tweeted that two 911 calls were related to roof damage, but no injuries have been reported.
Environment Canada had previously issued a warning for the same area at 5:36 p.m. before downgrading it to a tornado watch just before 6 p.m. At that time, the area of Ottawa South-Richmond-Metcalfe was under a tornado watch and severe thunderstorm warning.
Tornado watches mean storms may develop that could lead to a tornado. Tornado warnings mean a tornado has been reported or reliable information suggests one is about to happen.
Tornado watches first issued around 11 a.m. covered Ottawa, Gatineau, western Quebec and Ontario communities east of Ottawa to the Quebec border, west to Petawawa and Barry's Bay and south to Gananoque and Kaladar.
A severe thunderstorm watch covered the rest of eastern Ontario.
