At least two twisters ripped through the outskirts of Ontario on Friday, striking Dunrobin in Ottawa before crossing the Quebec border and striking Gatineau.
The storm left at least 40 homes flattened or destroyed in Dunrobin alone, and another 215 buildings and 1,686 housing units damaged in Gatineau.
Officials in Gatineau said that 200 people there had received housing assistance through the Red Cross.
Five people were hospitalised in Ottowa, with two in critical condition, one in serious condition and two listed as stable, the CBC reported. There were reports of injuries in Quebec as well, however, there have been no reports of fatalities.
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On Saturday, more than 150,000 customers were still without power following the tornado, and officials warned that it could take days to restore power to those areas hardest hit.
‘It looked like it was something from a movie scene or a war scene,’ Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson told reporters Saturday describing what he saw in the area of Dunrobin, where some 60 buildings were wiped out or partially destroyed.
‘Literally, it looks like some bomb was dropped from the air,’ Watson said. ‘It’s in the top two or three traumatic events that have affected our city.’
Much of Dunrobin, a semi-rural community about 22 miles west of downtown Ottawa, remained cordoned off by police.
Personal items were strewn everywhere – a baby blanket, a life jacket, mattresses, lawn mowers, a fridge, a kitchen sink lying on the grass and even a love seat wrapped around a telephone pole.
Meteorologist Simon Legault said there was evidence of powerful winds between 112-137 miles per hour.
Environment Canada said on Saturday the tornado that hit Dunrobin was likely an EF-3, meaning it had wind speeds of up to 164mph.
The second tornado was classified as a high end EF-2 with wind speeds of up 137mph and it hit the neighborhood of Arlington Woods in Ottawa.
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