Severe storm rips through Brantford and southwestern Ontario
One person was killed and two others were injured after a tree fell on a camping trailer at Pinehurst Lake during a severe storm that ripped through Brantford and Brant County on Saturday.
The OPP reported the death and injuries on Twitter on Saturday afternoon. The investigation is continuing.
The storm uprooted trees, downed branches and also left many people without power for a couple of hours in Brantford and the surrounding area.
“It was pretty incredible,” Carol Browning of Dalhousie Street near Park Avenue, said after the storm had moved on. “I could see the clouds coming in, then we got some rain and hail and it got really bad.
“We could see the tree swaying back and forth and I just knew it was going to go.”
Her son Dominic, 6, was playing out front and thought a tornado was coming. He headed into the house and down to the basement for cover.
The trunk of the tree in front of their home broke off with parts of the tree landing on a neighbour’s truck while the rest of it blocked one lane of the one-way street. Brantford police were on the scene with cruiser lights flashing as a warning to oncoming motorists.
“We’ve been living here for six years and I’ve seen a lot of storms but nothing like this,” Browning said. “I never thought I’d see this tree come down.
“There was loud crack and then, a few minutes later, it was all sunny and hot again.”
The storm also ravaged trees in nearby Alexandra Park. Some trees were uprooted while others lost branches in the park bordered by Park Avenue, Colborne Street, Peel Street and Dalhousie Street.
A block away on Darling Street near Drummond Street, a large tree knocked down hydro wires blocking the entire street. Brantford fire and police officers were on the scene and tape was set up to keep people away.
Wires could be seen entangled with tree branches creating a safety hazard.
There were also reports of downed branches and uprooted trees in other areas of the city including West Brant.
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