2 tornadoes hit Windsor-Essex during Thursday’s big storm, investigators say
Investigators with the Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP) from Western University say Thursday’s storm across southwestern Ontario resulted in twisters touching down in Tecumseh and Windsor.
Both occurred around 10:30 p.m. and lasted about 10 minutes causing destruction in the town and city.
Data shows the Tecumseh tornado was the stronger of the two, assessed as an EF-1 with an estimated maximum wind speed of 145 km/h.
It started in Tecumseh, running 14 kilometres down to Pleasant Park.
“There was additional damage to the southeast but further analysis is needed to know if it was related to this tornado,” NTP said in an online statement.
The twister continued toward the southeast from Tecumseh, into the Municipality of Lakeshore, and went past Highway 401 to the northeast of Pleasant Park.
“The track of surveyed damage did continue further southeast but damage became sporadic. Additional analysis is required to know if it is related to this tornado or something else, possibly a second tornado.”
The confirmed tornado in Windsor was on the city’s west side, according to NTP information, touching down around 10:30 p.m. Aug. 24.
It touched down along a path nearly 12 kilometres long, running from Sandwich Town, south-southeast through south Windsor, into LaSalle.
“Investigators say they’ve concluded an EF-0 twister — with speeds of 125 km/h — moved rapidly through the area,” according to an online statement from the NTP.
“Start time is based on radar, which showed an area of tight rotation along the entire damage path. Note that radar suggests the entire event took less than 10 minutes.”
Downbursts in Lambton County and Chatham-Kent
A downburst was also reported from Thursday’s wild weather in the region on the northeast side of Chatham.
Around 11 p.m. NTP data suggests numerous trees were uprooted and snapped, and had large branches broken. There was also roof damage to several homes.
Investigators say wind speeds were as high as 125 km/h when the downburst struck.
Another downburst, but from the previous night’s storm, Aug. 23, has also been confirmed in Lambton County.
It was near Dresden, at the south end of Lambton County around 6:30 p.m.
Barns were damaged and trees were snapped over a wide area.
Unlike tornadoes, winds from downbursts go beneath storms resulting in outward burst pattern with wide damage paths.
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