Tornado hits Ottawa, damaging over 125 homes, Canada

A tornado struck the southern suburb of Barrhaven in Ottawa on Thursday afternoon, July 13, 2023, resulting in damage to at least 125 homes. The event occurred near Umbra Place, east of Highway 416, causing varied degrees of damage, including ripped-off roofs and broken windows.

A line of severe thunderstorms moved through eastern Ontario on Thursday, bringing heavy rain, strong winds, and at least one tornado.

The tornado touched down in Barrhaven, south of Ottawa, and caused significant damage to homes and businesses. A survey team from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) is assessing the damage, and the agency has not yet released an official rating for the tornado.

According to Ottawa Fire Services, the tornado left at least 125 homes damaged. In spite of the extensive damage, only one minor injury was reported.

The damage incurred was varied, ranging from roofs and shingles being stripped off to broken windows, power outages and fallen trees, according to ECCC.

Kim Ayotte, the General Manager of Emergency and Protective Services in Ottawa said city infrastructure was also affected, but the damage wasn’t substantial.

During an interview, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe expressed his relief, acknowledging the potential severity of the situation had it escalated, “It could have been a lot worse.”

The storms also caused flooding and power outages in other parts of eastern Ontario. In the Ottawa area, there were reports of downed trees and power lines, and some roads were closed due to flooding.

The storms moved out of the area by Thursday evening, but the cleanup is still underway. ECCC is urging residents to stay safe and avoid areas that have been affected by the storms.

References:

¹ Tornado in Barrhaven damages about 125 homes – CBC – July 13, 2023

² Clean-up underway after severe storms spawn tornado near Ottawa – July 13, 2023 – The Weather Network

Featured image credit: Anmol Zakhmi (@zanmol)