Scientists confirm tornado touched down in Uxbridge

"One apartment building basically had its roof removed. So that is EF2 damage": scientist

Torontosun.com
May 25, 2022
Scott Laurie

At least one tornado was embedded in the massive storm that hit southern Ontario, according to scientists from Western University.

“We have confirmed that the first part through Uxbridge was a tornado,” said David Sills, executive director, Northern Tornadoes Project.

The twister caused kilometres of damage that was examined for days after the deadly weekend storm, which claimed at least 10 lives in Ontario and Quebec.

“They collected enough data to confirm an EF2 tornado was along the leading edge of the derecho. So it was kind of embedded.”

The scientists say it was on the ground as of 1:15 p.m. Saturday and left nearly 4.3 kilometres of damage in its wake. It was also 260 metres wide and had winds of up to 190 km/h.

“The worse damage was to a couple of apartment buildings. One apartment building basically had its roof removed,” Sills said.

“So that is EF2 damage.”

The embedded tornado started on the western edge of Uxbridge, and went through the town.

In Uxbridge Tuesday, Debbie James was still without power and making due by eating at a local restaurant.

“It’s not easy because -- where I live -- we also don’t have water because we are on our own wells,” said James, who added that a local restaurant -- still without power -- has become a life-line.

“They are allowing us to come down here, and we can sit on the patio. They’ve brought in a generator. They’ve been so generous with everyone.”

The local power authority said some parts of the town could be without power for a week.

James said she heard at least 12 houses have been condemned.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the investigation into damage in Ottawa was still underway.

Sills said what much of the province experienced was what’s called a derecho: “a thunderstorm system that produces widespread damaging winds. It’s long-lived and fast moving, generally.”.

At least 138,000 customers were still without power across the province as of Tuesday evening.

Sills said it was fortunate the tornado did not kill anyone in Uxbridge.

“Considering that there were so many were killed by falling trees, it’s amazing that in this area of enhanced damage, that no one was killed,” he said.