Strong winds, driving rain and hail washed across eastern Ontario and western Quebec Thursday afternoon. The regions of Montreal and Ottawa have even been hit by tornadoes.
Several tornado warnings issued by the government followed the progress of this atmospheric disturbance throughout the day.
Around 4 p.m., a tornado touched down at Mirabel airport and “we also suspect that there was one in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, but it is not yet confirmed”, indicated at the end afternoon Environment Canada meteorologist Katarina Radovanovic.
In both cases, these tornadoes would not have done any damage, since they struck in areas where there was no infrastructure.
Once the alerts were lifted in the Montreal area, around 5:30 p.m., the passage of the storm seemed to have left relatively important. Flooded basements, impassable pavements and water overflows in the subway have been reported. “No major damage has been caused to municipal infrastructure to date,” however, indicated the mayoress of Montreal, Valérie Plante.
This violent storm grounded many flights at Montreal airport. “Everything stops when there is lightning within an 8 km radius,” said Éric Forest, an airport authority official. “There is an impossibility to transport the luggage to the devices. Travelers are advised to check with their airline for more details. »
Winds reached peaks of 98 km/h at the Montreal airport, according to Environment Canada. Up to 50 mm of rain fell on the metropolis in the space of two hours.
The tornado warning is lifted for Montreal. Despite the strength of the storm, no major damage has been caused to municipal infrastructure so far.
A few roads were closed due to water accumulation. Please plan your travels and adapt your…
— Valerie Plante (@Val_Plante) July 13, 2023
As these lines were written, the situation continued to evolve. Alerts remained in effect for the Rawdon, Joliette and Mascouche sector in Lanaudière. The Trois-Rivières region also remained under alert.
When an “alert” is sent, “it’s time to take action and take refuge,” explains Simon Legault, Environment Canada meteorologist. “The alert is to say, it’s imminent, it’s coming to your area and often it rings on people’s phones,” added the meteorologist.
Several areas in the south of the province were also expecting to receive large hail. “We are talking about 2 or 3 cm in size of hailstones,” said Simon Legault.
The advance of this storm forced the organization of the Festival d’été de Québec to bring forward the presentation of its shows scheduled for late in the evening. Their cancellation otherwise seemed inevitable.
Tornado confirmed in Ottawa
At least one other tornado touched down in the early afternoon in Barrhaven, in the Ottawa area.
About 125 homes were damaged, according to an interim report from the City of Ottawa’s director of emergency services, Kim Ayotte. The cost of the damage cannot be estimated at this time. The authorities speak of “roof torn off, windows shattered, trees uprooted”.
One person was “slightly injured”.
The Ottawa Police Service confirmed the incident stating that the tornado left “a great impact and officers and partners are working diligently to assist anyone in need of assistance”.
What to do to protect yourself?
If a tornado warning is issued in your area, the first thing to do is seek shelter. The Ministry of Public Safety (MSP) recommends going indoors, to the room on the lowest level, away from windows and exterior walls: ideally in the basement, in a stairwell or a guard -dress.
If you find yourself outside in a vehicle, mobile home, tent, trailer or other temporary shelter, take shelter in a sturdy building if you can.
As a last resort, the MSP recommends lying on the ground in a low place while protecting your head.
With The Canadian Press