Thu Aug. 20 2009 11:53:58 PM
State of emergency in Vaughan after tornado rips roofs off homes
cp24.com
Bedrooms of a home near Highway 7 and Martin Grove Road can be seen with no roof in this aerial shot from Chopper 24.
A tornado touches down in Vaughan on August 20, 2009. The tornado damaged homes in the area. |
View larger imageBeware, some videos contain foul language.
There is a state of emergency in the city of Vaughan after a tornado touched down, damaging a number of homes.
Vaughan's fire chief is confirming that luckily, no one suffered serious injuries.
"It's amazing when you do see the destruction and it's amazing that no one, absolutely no one has serious injuries," said Greg Senay, York Region Fire Chief.
At least 120 families are being "permanently evacuated" from their homes.
"By declaring a state of emergency, it allows us to procure equipment faster and quicker," said Vaughan mayor Linda Jackson at news conference late Thursday.
"It allows us to open emergency shelters and access other agencies to provide us with more assistance."
He warns that there are still hydro wires down and gas leaks in the area.
"We're here for the long haul. We're here tolook after you," he said at the news conference.
Part of Vaughan Mills mall was also destroyed due to the storm.
It was one of at least two tornadoes have touched down in Southern Ontario. Another near Owen Sound left one person dead.
Emergency shelters are set up at:
- Father Ermanno Bulfon Community Centre 8141 Martin Grove Road , south of Langstaff Road in Woodbridge
- Maple Community centre, 10190 Keele Street, near Major MacKenzie Drive in Maple
Anyone in Vaughan who requires more information can call 905-832-2281.
Multiple homes were destroyed on Tierra Avenue in the Rutherford Road and Highway 400 area. The roofs were ripped off. Cars in the area were flipped over by wind. A number of families are now homeless.
Up to 30 police cars and ambulances were on scene.
"It looked like an explosion," said Jeff Carnavale who was in the area when the storm hit.
"All you saw was wood and dust everywhere and for the next five to ten minutes, debris is falling from the sky."
"I'm in the window near my house, and I see it looks like the roof picked up like this and flew all over," one woman from the area told CP24 as she motioned with her arms.
"I'm so scared."
Falling trees have knocked down hydro lines in the area.
It also appears one home in Mississauga caught fire because it was hit by lightning.
Environment Canada had warned people to take shelter. The warning included Toronto, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Markham and Newmarket.
Videos and photos submitted to CP24 by viewers show tornadoes touching down in the Vaughan area.
There were multiple power outages reported by Toronto Hydro and Hydro One.
There was flooding at Ontario Place, on Lake Shore Boulevard, and in parts of Whitby and dozens of cancellations at Pearson International Airport.
Residents of the town of Durham, located in Grey County, reported severe tornado damage on Thursday afternoon. At least one person died.
The town's Home Hardware store appears to have been hit and is now missing most of its roof.
"We have also had someone in the Blue Mountain area reporting they've seen a tornado," says Environment Canada's Geoff Coulson. "Most of the activity to this point looks like it's going to stay west and north of (Toronto)."
Deputy Mayor Dan Sullivan, deputy mayor of Durham, reports significant property damage and multiple injuries, saying several trailers were blown over in the town's conservation area. There are also some reports that houses have been completely levelled.
Brenda Ailles was in her trailer in the conservation area that was hit when she heard several loud snapping sounds. She came outside to find downed trees surrounding her trailer.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper, currently on a tour of Canada's North, expressed his concern. "We share our thoughts and prayers with any who have lost lives or have dislocation because of this," Harper said. "Obviously the government of Canada, where appropriate, will work with local and provincial authorities to deal with this situation."
Prime Minister Stephen Harper, currently on a tour of Canada's North, expressed his concern.
"We share our thoughts and prayers with any who have lost lives or have dislocation because of this," Harper said. "Obviously the government of Canada, where appropriate, will work with local and provincial authorities to deal with this situation."
| E-Mail Story |
Comments are now closed for this story
August 20, 2009 at 10:13:20 PM
sharon
There are no words to say only it's getting scary theses day with the last storm we had.What do we have to look forward to.Stay safe.
August 20, 2009 at 10:43:58 PM
ramandeep
very bad for weather today so sad
August 20, 2009 at 11:05:22 PM
shannon
what scares me the most was that I was at work in Newmarket when this storm started and had driven home. Only saw one tree down. Then when I got home got a phone call to head to the basement. Even on the way home I saw all these fire trucks and ambulance. I thought it was just an accident...
August 20, 2009 at 11:17:47 PM
Karen
What is this world coming too?
I seriously think 2012 is the end of the world. It just gets worse and worse and worse.
August 20, 2009 at 11:18:51 PM
Leslie
Very scary indeed. Thank goodness no one was killed in Vaughan.
:)
August 20, 2009 at 11:21:35 PM
Marc
The world hasn't seen anything yet. It's going to get a lot worse in the coming years. Hang on for the ride. It's not going to be pretty.
August 20, 2009 at 11:40:36 PM
Jay
It was really scary, all the power in our house turned off.
August 20, 2009 at 11:45:13 PM
Victoria
I was actually in Wonderland in line for Scooby Doo's haunted Masion. We heard a loud noise and everyone was freaking out, i now found out that lightning actually hit the roof. We went to the parking lot and we saw the funnel of the tornado coming it was so scary!
August 20, 2009 at 11:51:14 PM
Julia
Wow we got lucky! I saw it coming (debris flying upward in a circle, at a construction site at Kipling and Woodbridge Avenue about 200 feet away.) That was a 4-second dash to the basement! Thank goodness we are about 20 feet closer to sea level than the land up at the corner. It went right overhead, and yet we have no damage.
August 20, 2009 at 11:51:37 PM
Rose
I think it's time to move FAR away from Toronto and the GTA. BC's "Sunshine Coast" is looking REAL good just about now. BC does NOT get this weather. Their winters are mild, worst cold is maybe 40 to 50 degrees. We now get more rain than in most areas of BC. Not to mention other reasons to leave here.
Meanwhile, stay safe and run to your basements or enclosed shelters, in case of another incident!
August 20, 2009 at 11:56:35 PM
Trina Champion
I hope all the people and animals involved are safe and sound. I give my love to you all. I hope you can get back what has bein lost. All we can do is hope that these storms dont keep getting worse. R.I.P for the life that has bein lost.
August 21, 2009 at 12:10:42 AM
Cynthia Mansour
This is sadly global warming at it's best. Scary stuff, if only we could have changed to prevent mother nature from turning on us. Take shelter because these weather patterns are only bound to get worse!
August 21, 2009 at 12:13:04 AM
Mike
Wow this is devastating. I'm up in Vaughan in Kleinburg and I dread the thought of seeing a tornado come through after taking the homes and shelter of so many people earlier today. I pray to god that this will be the last of any natural disaster in Canada for a long time.
August 21, 2009 at 12:13:09 AM
Brian
The end of the world?? It was a storm. My thoughts go to family of deceased. I have lived in Indiana and worked in Oklahoma City. I've watched area codes wiped off the map, it could have been a lot worse.
August 21, 2009 at 1:01:45 AM
Mika
Thanks for keeping us well informed CP24 we seaked shelter in our home and stayed safe thanks to your quik fast updates...the clouds were crazy...over in our area in Vaughn.....
August 21, 2009 at 1:40:37 AM
Tony Raad
It was unbelievable , i saw the tornado and the debris flying in the air and hundreds of lightning strikes every second !!!!
August 21, 2009 at 2:50:50 AM
Michelle
Today is the worst day ever. I hope that anyone who got caught in this, is okay. I know I'm not. I dont handle storms very well.
August 21, 2009 at 3:04:42 AM
Ian
seriously this is really nothing. Trying living in Tornado Alley for a decade, then see something like this. In Canada it seems we get the wimpy end of everything. And when something happens, "its the end of days/world". Lets use our brains here. Weather and Climate are changing. Pure and Simple.
August 21, 2009 at 6:32:02 AM
nick
wow what a scare lightening feel down on my court has i was looking outside.
August 21, 2009 at 7:52:53 AM
Maria
Was in Woodbridge last nite @ a friend's in the Hwy 7 and Pine Valley area....caught the tornado as it was forming and touching down...I felt like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz !!!
August 21, 2009 at 7:53:14 AM
Colin M
This is actually normal in Southern Ontario.... With aprox 80 Tornadoes a yr in Canada... it only happens every few yrs where it hits a city but we are in Canadas "tornado alley" being in Southern Ontario. People just need to be educated more on what to do when they see it... This is nothing new, it's just rare to hit a main city and not farm land.
August 21, 2009 at 7:57:01 AM
David
Man... That's messed up it had to happen on my birthday, i hope everyone is okay
August 21, 2009 at 8:03:30 AM
Manod
Yea, this is scary...the weather is getting crazier each year. I was down in Illinois at the time of the derecho there. Once you've seen bad weather, its just something you know you cannot take lightly. I stay away from windows and faucets during storms now. Better safe than sorry.
August 21, 2009 at 8:05:42 AM
Faith
With the amount of positive Ions in the air what do you expect? The only course of nature nature can take to clean the aiR is now happening. The more intense the pollution the worse it will be. I drive from Shelburne to Brampton every day for the last 13 years and I stop,a few minutes everyday, on the Caledon mountain over looking the city looking at the air hanging over it. I have been warning people for years. We have to do something. Will they listen no but your going to listen now? WHY Mother Nature speaks loud with vengeance. There are things we can do to help but no one will listen to me.