Mother Nature wasn’t quite in full force last weekend, but she did manage some damage across Southwestern Ontario.
On April 25, Environment Canada issued weather warnings for most of that area as a result of a swath of thunderstorms passing through. The storm hit Centre Wellington and the Mapleton area late Saturday afternoon, with high winds taking down numerous trees and causing considerable damage. There were power outages in several areas.
Many of the trees downed were evergreens.
Tower and St. David Streets were blocked near Victoria Park in Fergus because of downed trees.
However, other streets in Elora and throughout the township were affected as well.
Depending on where residents were, power outages were either relatively minor, or lasted for hours. Just outside of Alma, it was still out around noon on Sunday.
But power outages because of the storm appeared to be the norm as Hydro One’s website reported unplanned power outages throughout Wellington County and its neighbouring municipalities.
Though reports of wind damage were spread throughout the area, the Fergus cenotaph was a surprising benefactor of chance. Two large evergreens on the property within feet of the cenotaph were felled by the winds, which, by chance, directed those trees away from the soldiers’ memorial. Not so lucky were nearby residential properties along Tower Street, with snapped off trees and a concrete lamppost. One tree landed atop a car parked in the driveway.
