Suspected tornado hits Ont. community
24 June 2010 | 
Author: Professor |
CBC News 23 June, 2010
At least five people were reportedly injured when what Environment Canada suspects was a tornado ripped through a trailer park in Midland, Ont., causing extensive damage.
Trailers were piled up at Smith's Trailer Park near King Street and Highway 12, and the area had been sealed off over fears of a potential gas leak, CBC's Dave Seglins reported from the scene.
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Jackie McLauchlin, a spokeswoman for Georgian Bay General Hospital, told the Barrie Examiner there were no deaths or serious injuries.
"We've now run the gamut [of injuries]," she said. "Nobody is critical."
But McLauchin said they the hospital was in "code orange," meaning additional staff were working.
Midland is about 140 kilometres north of Toronto.
Environment Canada had issued a tornado warning for the area, and people in and around Midland reported seeing a huge funnel cloud and circling swaths of debris in the dark sky.
Provincial police said numerous roads in the area were closed because of downed trees and power lines.
Hydro One said 8,500 customers in the area were without power and service crews were on the scene.
The Ontario government issued a red alert for a region of the province bounded by Penatanguishine in the north, Barrie in the south, Collingwood in the west and Orillia in the east.
The red alert requires everyone in this area, including motorists and boaters, to go indoors immediately and seek shelter.
James Downer, the mayor of Midland, also declared a state of emergency, telling the Barrie Examiner that the damage was "severe" in the whole south end.
Seglins said the storm cut a large swath of destruction right across King Street in Midland, taking out roofs, smashing windows, destroying cars and knocking out power for most of the area.
Environment Canada said radar indicated a severe storm had likely produced a tornado in the area and that there have also been reports of funnel clouds spotted near Orillia, Ont.
The weather agency had also issued a tornado watch for Windsor and areas including Leamington and Essex County.
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