"Many homes destroyed": Ottawa resident describes Barrhaven tornado
The damaging storm ripped through the Ottawa community late Thursday afternoon.
It was a chaotic scene in eastern Ontario and southern Quebec Thursday evening, as a line of storms barreled through the region, sparking tornado warnings and at least two confirmed tornado touchdowns - one in Barrhaven, south of Ottawa, and one in Mirabel, Que.
"There are many, many homes with trees, roofs, [and] patios that were all destroyed," Harvey Thompson, a witness to the event, told The Weather Network's Mark Robinson in Barrhaven.
Thompson said he received a notice on his phone that a tornado was occurring in his area, so he headed inside and to the basement.
Initial reports suggest 125 homes were damaged on the Ottawa side, but Thompson believes that estimate is conservative.
VIDEO: Tornado cleanup underway in Ottawa
With files from Mark Robinson.
