Tornado Hits Durham, Ontario

The storm has left us, but not without a lot of damage, thousands without power this evening. People reported picnic tables, barbecues tossed through air, cars overturned, downed wires, many houses had their roofs torn off, some reduced to rubble.

Some video here:   http://mynews.ctv.ca/mediaMore1_?page=0&siteT=

Vaughan has declared a state of emergency.  About 120 homes evacuated, likely F2 tornado.  No casualties in Vaughan/York region.  Vaughan emergency help line (905) 832-2281.

very good report.

We were working on the porch of our home under construction when we looked about one km. east and saw a huge, dense fluffy white cloud with a large grey funnel at the bottom.  We saw it touch down and start moving northeast toward Durham, a town of  2,500 people.  There was a large trailer for highway construction workers sliced in half and overturned by a large high ho tractor on its side.  Hundreds of trees uprooted, split in half and downed in a crumpled mess.  Further on about two blocks three businesses, JD Siding, Thuro-Web (printing) and Durham Activity were demolished.  Then the tornado moved north east devastating trees and homes in its path.  It swept through the Durham Conservation Centre where trailers, tents, barbeques, two large gazebos and the toll booth at the north end were destroyed.  Then it moved north and further east to take out homes, barns, hydro poles and barns.  There is millions of dollars worth of damage.  Durham has never had a tornado and there was little to no warning to unsuspecting town and rural peoples.  It is a terrible mess and will take weeks to clear up the mess.  Some people in Durham are now getting their hydro restored.  We have lived in Durham for seven years and have never seen such a terrible swath of destruction.  This tornado was worse than the one that went through Shelburne and Violet Hill in 1996, I believe.  There it went mostly through farm fields and took out barns.  Markdale was hit in that one and once again Markdale was hit again.  You don't mess with Mother Nature.

It was sunny with no dark clouds then in a matter of 1 minute the whole sky was black and the storm destroyed half the town in a blink of an eye. Buildings, homes, cars, and tons of trees were ruined. 1 person was killed; an 11 year old boy (I don't think it's confirmed that it was a 11 year old but apparently a shed killed him.)Website with pictures: www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2009/08/20/tornado-durham.html

i couldn't believe this storm. it was nice out one minute and then as soon as I got inside I looked outside and it was black and teaming rain and it looked like waves in the street. I'm glad not more people were injured.

Luciano Galasso

My brother is into Toronto. Looks like he is ok He was a baseball stadium at the time.  He said there was a 'massive wind'. He could hear a thunderstorm outside the stadium.  By 0730 the storm had passed. He said that his girlfriend's house in Bloor shook 'like in an earthquake'.

I am so thankful it didn't hit my aunts house! ♥