Tornado touches down near Metcalfe, Environment Canada says

Ottawa Fire Services says part of a roof was ripped off a home in Riverside South

Published Aug 03, 2023 • Last updated 22 minutes ago • 2 minute read

Ottawa Fire Services says part of a roof was ripped off a home in Riverside South. Photo by OFS pic

Environment Canada says a tornado touched down in the Ottawa area this evening during a severe thunderstorm.

It was confirmed near Metcalfe, Ont., about 30 kilometres southeast of Ottawa, just before 7 p.m. eastern time.

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There were also a number of reports of hail throughout the national capital, along with strong winds and rain.

Ottawa Fire Services says part of a roof was ripped off a home on Canyon Walk Drive in the Riverside South neighbourhood, south of Nepean.

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The fire service says everyone got out of the home safely and the home’s structural integrity was not damaged, but it’s not clear whether the damage was caused by a tornado. Firefighters were working to put plastic over the damaged roof for the homeowner.

The structural integrity of the home was not affected, the fire service added in an online post.

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However, a subsequent post said firefighters were making their way to the area of Escapade Private and Salamander Way, northeast of the Rideau Carleton Casino, following reports of multiple damaged roofs in the area.

Ottawa Fire Service firefighters work to protect a storm-damaged roof at a home on Salamander Way in the south end of the city after a severe storm struck the neighbourhood on Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023. Ottawa Fire Services/handout Photo by Ottawa Fire Services /jpg

Another fire service post said a house on Wilhelmina Place had been struck by lightning, charring some of the siding.

The Ottawa Police Service posted that officers were on the scene for downed power lines in Gloucester, with road closures in effect from High Road and Earl Armstrong Road between Bowesville Road and Albion Road. Motorists were advised to avoid the area.

I have been in contact with City Emergency Services. Damage is localized to Findlay Creek & Riverside South. Two 911 calls related to roof damage & lightening strike. No reports of injuries. Down trees & wires @OttFire @DutyInspector continuing to assess area for damage.

— Steve Desroches (@SteveDesroches) August 4, 2023

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Power outages

As of 8:38 pm, about 2,700 customers out in Alta Vista and Capital Wards according to the Hydro Ottawa outage map.

Weather alerts

It was a wildly changing weather forecast for the national capital region throughout Thursday, with warnings for severe thunderstorm and tornado watches flashing on and off.

The weather agency had issued temporary tornado warnings for Ottawa twice in the afternoon and evening, though both were lifted.

A tornado watch notice for Ottawa and Gatineau, first issued in late morning, remained in effect as of mid-evening.

Past tornados

Severe storms in mid-July brought tornados to Mirabel, Que.and to Barrhaven, only about 30 kilometres west of Metcalfe, where Thursday’s tornado was spotted.

About 125 homes were damaged in Barrhaven during the July 13 storm, said Kim Ayotte, the general manager of emergency and protective services for the City of Ottawa.

Most of the damage involved roofs being ripped off homes, broken windows and damage from falling trees. There were no serious injuries.

Aaron Jaffe, an engineering researcher at the Northern Tornado Project, told The Canadian Press in July that the tornado appeared to have had a path more than 100 metres wide and several kilometres long.

— With files from Liam Fox.

More to come.