After a preliminary investigation, officials have confirmed at least one tornado touched down during the severe thunderstorms on Sunday night (July 24) in the Marmora, Madoc, and Tweed area, east of Peterborough.
Staff from Environment Canada and the Northern Tornadoes Project at Western University in London visited the area on Monday to investigate whether a tornado was responsible for some of the widespread damage in the area.
On Tuesday morning, Environment Canada reported on its initial investigation with the Northern Tornadoes Project.
“There was a long track of damage due to at least one tornado and downburst winds,” the initial report reads. “Damage has been preliminarily rated as high-end EF-1 with peak wind speeds of near 175 km/h. The final track length and strength of the winds associated are not yet determined.”
On the Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF Scale), used to rate a tornado’s strength based on its estimated wind speeds and related damage from EF-0 (weak) to EF-5 (violent), an EF-1 rating estimates three-second wind gusts of 138 to 177 km/h.
Environment Canada’s initial report also lists the damage reported along a path from Round Lake (six kilometres north of Havelock), east through Marmora and Madoc, to east of Actinolite:
- A flipped trailer in Rockdale with multiple injuries reported.
- Extensive tree damage including areas of very large mature trees.
- Homes damaged with the roof partially removed.
- Barns completely destroyed.
- Hydro lines and poles down, including on roads.
- Roads including Highway 7 blocked by fallen trees and power lines.
On Sunday night at 8:28 p.m., Environment Canada had issued a tornado warning for the area, stating “meteorologists are tracking a severe thunderstorm that is possibly producing a tornado.”
Reports soon appeared across social media of widespread damage along the Highway 7 corridor from western Peterborough County near Havelock and across Hastings County, with the Ontario Provincial Police responding to multiple calls of storm-related damage in Marmora, Madoc, and north of Tweed.
#OPP officers are responding to numerous calls of storm related damage in Marmora, Madoc and along #Hwy7 north of Tweed. Significant damage to property. Trees and wires down . No reports of injuries at this time. If you observe a dangerous situation call 9-1-1. @OPP_COMM_ER ^ec pic.twitter.com/dF6Rkk6Yyc
— OPP East Region (@OPP_ER) July 25, 2022
Both Jillian’s Antiques & Things in Marmora and Woodland North 62 Lavender Farm in Madoc shared photos on Facebook of the damage:
We got hit hard this time ??
Posted by Jillian's Antiques & Things on Sunday, July 24, 2022
We escaped mother natures last storm, but not last night. Hurricane whipped through here and devastated our barn. I’m…
Posted by Woodland North 62 Lavender Farm on Monday, July 25, 2022
Marmora resident Curt Snider posted a video on Monday of some of the damage to his property, including downed trees and a pontoon boat that was flipped over.
“My garage actually moved over four inches,” Snider says in the video.
Posted by Curtt Snider on Monday, July 25, 2022
The original version of this story has been updated with the initial findings of the investigation by Environment Canada and the Northern Tornadoes Project.
