No evidence of tornado touchdown for Georgina during July 15 storm

Investigative organization says funnel cloud did not bring damage to area

Yorkregion.com
July 23, 2021
John Cudmore

It is unlikely that a tornado touched down in Georgina during the July 15 severe weather activity that saw a twister cause major damage in Barrie and other nearby areas.

The Northern Tornadoes Project investigated the report of a possible tornado in the Keswick area and found no evidence of damage caused by a tornado there.

"It appears the storm went through that area then started producing tornadic damage later, near Zephyr," Northern Tornadoes Project executive director Dr. David Sills said on July 21.

"The Georgina Island band office was also contacted since the storm that produced that Barrie tornado tracked through that area but, again, no damage was reported there and the storm began producing damage again further east."

There was concern that a funnel cloud that passed through the area near Keswick might have touched down during the wild weather incident that afternoon, but it appears that was not the case.

The damage in Zephyr and further east into Durham Region occurred about an hour after the incident that left behind extreme damage in a Barrie neighbourhood shortly after 3 p.m.