Close call for Elmira as cone tornado rips through & damages Hawkesville farms
This tornado touched down at 7:30pm and caused damage to farms northwest of Kitchener, near the town of Hawkesville. It tracked along the south edge of town, then passed south of Elmira and dissipated as it approached Maryhill. It was caught by storm chaser Mark Benest, whose photos show a dark, fat cone tornado wrapped in rain and fully-condensed to the ground. In some photos, debris can be seen lofted in the air around the funnel. The tornado tore across Ament Line on the south side of the town, leaving snapped trees and fallen power poles, as well as a wide swath of flattened corn fields. It struck several farms, damaging and destroying outbuildings. At one farm was particularly hard-hit, roofing was torn from a barn, the top was blown off of a silo, and a large well-anchored drive shed was ripped apart. In addition, heavy farm equipment including a forklift, a metal press and a grain drill were toppled over. Debris from that and other properties was scattered for hundreds of metres through fields and was left caught in fences and dangling from trees.
Meteorologists, storm chasers and residents tracked the event as it unfolded, and then documented the damage that was left behind. A post-storm survey by Environment Canada revealed that the tornado had a path that was 6 kilometres long and up to 250 metres wide. Emergency vehicles and EMS crews flooded to the area as the storm passed, though fortunately no injuries were reported.
#onstorm 7:39p TORNADO WARNING ISSUED
Updated or ended by 8:38PM.
At 7:39PM, EC meteorologists are tracking a…https://t.co/Cutx8tSrXX
— OntarioTornadoWatch (@ontariotornado) August 11, 2017
7:37pm EDT – Report of tornado on the ground near #Hawkesville seek shelter #onstorm pic.twitter.com/yeZHH9e6wc
— Dayna Vettese (@daynavettese) August 11, 2017
Tornado 7:32pm just west of Hawkesville, ON #onstorm #onwx pic.twitter.com/eBxLjFuqMc
— Mark Benest (@markb0113) August 11, 2017
Funnel as it emerged from rain curtain. Sorry for the shake I was about to bail when it became rainwrapped #onstorm #onwx pic.twitter.com/8l183Van0j
— Mark Benest (@markb0113) August 12, 2017
Damaged properties and debris everywhere around HAWKESVILLE. EMS on scene in multiple locations #onstorm
— MikeChambers (@perthcountywx) August 11, 2017
Debris in fields from a damaged or possible destroyed barn up the road. HAWKESVILLE #onstorm pic.twitter.com/YBmBizNa37
— MikeChambers (@perthcountywx) August 11, 2017
Couple pictures from Hawksville tornado lots of damage here. More pictures in the morning. pic.twitter.com/pck7SufVov
— Nate Leis (@nate_leis) August 12, 2017
A lot of damage near Hawksville today. EC in the area investigating possible tornado. Incredible to see the community come together to help. pic.twitter.com/jWAAM5SPO5
— Marc Venema (@MarcVenemaCTV) August 12, 2017
PICS: Possible tornado damage in Hawkesville, ON (northwest of Kitchener). Buildings destroyed at this property, residents unhurt. #onstorm pic.twitter.com/oqnK8iKaL4
— Jeremy Cohn (@JeremyGlobalTV) August 12, 2017
Video: Suspected tornado damage in Hawkesville (NW of Kitchener). Mother & several children @ this farm took shelter & were unhurt. #onstorm pic.twitter.com/dRHHsmlSuN
— Jeremy Cohn (@JeremyGlobalTV) August 12, 2017
@Lyndsay_CTV Barn had some significant damage in Hawksville, ON. #Tornado pic.twitter.com/XN1tP1B5rb
— Kev (@kevin_cordero) August 12, 2017
Drone pictures from last evenings tornado near Hawksville! pic.twitter.com/O0w4vAtwzT
— Nate Leis (@nate_leis) August 12, 2017
Cont. pic.twitter.com/MTy9u7ArZm
— Nate Leis (@nate_leis) August 12, 2017
Final pic.twitter.com/GJhAcbwRJX
— Nate Leis (@nate_leis) August 12, 2017
Last of drone pictures from Hawksville! pic.twitter.com/xBSJUPvhPK
— Nate Leis (@nate_leis) August 12, 2017
Drone fly over from yesterdays tornado! pic.twitter.com/zO5QVIxfIG
— Nate Leis (@nate_leis) August 12, 2017
2 tornadoes confirmed in S. Ontario yesterday by Environment Canada. pic.twitter.com/ReR2EvtIRo
— Andy Costa (@AndyBlizzard87) August 12, 2017
This was the second of two tornadoes that touched down in Southern Ontario on August 11; the first was an EF0 tornado at Leamington.
