Deadly tornado hits Mascouche in southern Quebec, Canada

A tornado killed one person in Mascouche near Montreal in southern Quebec, Canada, the deputy premier and minister of public safety confirmed Monday, June 21, 2021. Several dozen buildings were damaged and many others were injured.

Dozens of people were cleaning up debris from their damaged homes in the aftermath of a tornado in Mascouche on Monday.

On some residential streets between Route 125 and Highway 25, shingles were missing from roofs, power lines were downed, trees split down the middle, and trampolines suspended on sheds as firefighters worked to block off downed lines.

The twister killed one man, who may have taken shelter in his shed, according to Mascouche police. His neighbors added that he didn't seem to have time to make it into his house as the incident happened so fast.

"He was really nice; in winter, he always helped everyone with snow removal," said one of his neighbors, Mathieu Hamel.

The tornado ripped the top of Hamel's house, which was several months into an expansion he and his partner have been working on.

Hamel added that their four children, all under 10, were on the bus on their way home from school when they witnessed the tornado lift their house into the air.

"We have houses that were blown off their foundations,"  said Mascouche Mayor Guillaume Tremblay. "We have electric wires everywhere in the streets and a considerable amount of fallen trees."

The Canadian Red Cross has deployed teams to help up to 100 people displaced by the damage.

Environment Canada confirmed the twister but the intensity and trajectory are yet to be confirmed. 

Julie Celestial

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