FERGUS – Researchers with Western University have confirmed that a weak tornado hit the Fergus area on the night of Nov. 10.
On its Facebook page, the Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP) stated on Monday that its “storm survey team has found a long, narrow path of damage through the Fergus area, confirming that a tornado did indeed occur there last evening.”
The Western University project aims to better detect tornado occurrence in Canada, improve understanding and prediction of extreme weather, mitigate harm to people and property, and investigate future implications of climate change.
On Monday morning, the project had announced via social media that it would be sending a team to Fergus to investigate possible “tornadic damage” that happened the previous night.
By the afternoon, the organization had confirmed a tornado and assigned a preliminary rating of EF0.
“The EF scale extends from EF0 at the weakest to EF5 at the strongest, with EF0 winds being between 90 and 130 km/h,” NTP executive director David Sills explained in an email to the Advertiser.
He could not provide much more detail about the storm.
“The rest of the details are yet to be determined, but will come soon,” Sills said.
A resident of Albert Street East lost power when a large limb broke off of a tree in her front yard.
She reported reported hearing the branch fall, and said the storm was over very soon thereafter.
Centre Wellington Hydro was able to quickly restore power, she said, but in the afternoon, the tree branch still blocked her driveway.
She said she was thankful the branch hadn’t fallen on anyone or anything.
A drive around the neighbourhood revealed more localized damage, including a house on Union Street with its fence blown down, and more downed trees further down Albert Street and by the nearby baseball diamond.
On social media, people were reporting damage not just in Fergus but south of the town, to just north of Guelph Lake.
