iaink

We had a tremendous, if short lived storm blow through our neighbourhood yesterday afternoon, Many trees ripped out of the ground... Power was out till about 9.30 last night while they fixed the lines.

We escaped largely unscathed, although my Union Flag was a victim, but just a bit either side of our property huge, century old trees were just ripped straight over, a rather awe inspiring sight. There were a few pictures in the paper this morning, and I woke to the sound of chainsaws.

Must be at least 10 trees knocked over along our road, and numerous others with limbs blown off. Weird thing is that there is no consistency as to which way the trees were blown, and my flag was blown straight down, bending the metal mounting plate.

http://www.intelligencer.ca/ArticleD...aspx?e=1127373

Its been a funny summer weather wise, this is one more thing to add to the mix. I guess I should wander around with my camera and take a few pics, if it ever stops raining for long enough!

Steve_P

Well first off let me say I am happy to hear you and your family are fine. I'm also happy to hear that your home escaped relatively damage free.

It sounds like you got hit by a microburst if the flag was driven straight down, they can be real mean nasty buggers.

iaink

Thanks Steve. That sort of ties in with the lady in the report saying it got much colder just as it hit, and the fact that there is no one direction the trees fell over.

I'm just glad I don't live in Tornado Alley! Its pretty awsome to see these natural forces at work...as long as you escape unscathed, but I wouldn't want this to become a regular thing! Very very lucky that there was virtually no propery damage around, nearly all the trees fell away from the buildings.

Souvenir

That all passed us by, apart from a bit of rain. Montreal got a water spout, though. The forecast for this afternoon isn't looking too good. Neither is the radar. I'm not sure I like the idea of 3cm hail.

Butch Cassidy

Iain,

Good to hear you and the Famile are scar free, sad news about the flag (you dont think some fundamentalist Canadian could be responsible??).
Anyway get there and snap some pics we NEED to see it!

Butch Cassidy

3cm Hail??
Dont be such a pussy, It needs to get to at least 5cm before we worry over here

Coffeepot

Pleased you were all okay, did you get much warning? shame about the trees, get out there and store up some fire wood ( when it stops raining ) put the pics up when you can.

iaink

Yeah, but your cars are all ready aerodynamically dimpled and the windscreen already cracked, so you have no reason to worry

Jingsamichty

Glad to hear you and yours escaped relatively unscathed, Iain.

Are localised storms of that severity common in your area? I ask only because I remembered the tornado in Birmingham (UK) last year, and only last week there was another tornado in London.

I don't recall any tornadoes in the UK while growing up, and can't decide if these events are genuine changes in the weather or simply a result of improved communications.

Perhaps you could replace your Union flag with a brand new EU one...

iaink

There was a severe thunderstorm warning, but thats not unusual this time of year.

The pics of the fallen trees in the Intel article (although small) are probably more dramatic than I'll get...most of that mess had been cleared by this morning, so not going to be much of that to see.

We still have lots of firewood still from when we had about a dozen big black ash trees cut down from the front yard a few years ago. Cost about a grand to do back then , but this morning that looks like money well spent, as Im certain at least one of them would have been a victim of yesterdays winds.

I did find the flag....the pole and the mounting bracket will need a bit of brute force to straiten them again, thats all.

Nothing too unusual about severe storms in central canada, and there was a tornado touched down near bancroft, north of here, last year. (Tornados are pretty unusual this far east) Yesterdays was the most severe I've been near to. We are south and east of where the worst of the storms in Ontario tend to be, so dont get it so bad. Jings may have a point about improved communications though.

Butch Cassidy

True,

And in my case despite only being 4 months old I've already had the requiste fender bender installed and the nearside light assembly pushed back 2-3"

MB-Realtor

There was a "tornado" that went through my Cambridgshire Village in the 80's knocked walls/fences down and took off a roof.

I read somewhere that the UK has more tornadoes per square mile than any where else in the world, but they are never really big. ??????????

Here in Winnipeg we had an F4 just outside the City, in their disaster preparation training last year the City had a Tornado starting to the west of the City following the Assinaboine River for a while and exiting through my House , it seems its the most likely route

iaink

Still some clean up going on, and another one fell across the road yesterday...weakend in the storm or just leaning against another tree I guess.

Anyway, some not very good pictures follow as requested...

Butch Cassidy

Look pretty good to me Iain, just hope no more fall or if they do not on your place