Storm brings possible tornado

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/06/2023 (1084 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For the second time this week, Environment and Climate Change Canada is investigating whether a tornado touched down in Westman, this time near Killarney.

Westman residents took to social media in the aftermath of a severe thunderstorm on Tuesday evening to post pictures of the damage done by the storm.

That included the toppling of a heritage tree in Souris some believe could be more than 600 years old.

Speaking to the Sun by phone from Winnipeg, warning preparedness meteorologist Natalie Hasell said radar signatures indicated rotation.

“We expect that there was a tornado,” she said. “We think there could have very easily been a tornado, but we haven’t received any other information except for one photo of a line of grain bins that were damaged.”

Unlike the storm on Monday, no tornado warnings were issued, though severe thunderstorm watches and warnings sent out by Environment Canada did mention the possibility of tornadoes.

If anyone in and around Killarney has photos, video or other evidence from the storm that could help determine if a tornado touched down, Hasell said there are a few ways they can share that information.

They can either post using the #mbstorm hashtag on Twitter, email mbstorm@ec.gc.ca or call 1-800-239-0484.

“I don’t want people going out of their way to take photos for us because I’d rather people take shelter than take photos,” Hasell said. “But if there were photos or videos, sure, we’ll take them.”

According to Hasell, the community in southern Manitoba hardest hit by the rain produced in Tuesday’s storm was Carberry, which received a recorded 46.2 millimetres of precipitation.

Souris-Glenwood chief administrative officer Charlotte Parham confirmed to the Sun Wednesday that what is referred to by locals as the “Old Oak Tree” in Victoria Park snapped in half during the storm.

When the province created a special designation for heritage trees in 2015, the Old Oak Tree was one of the first three to be added to the list.

“Designation of a heritage tree on Crown land means the tree cannot be removed, unless there is a risk to forest health, public safety or to accommodate necessary infrastructure work,” a government media release from the time stated.

Reached by phone, former Souris-Glenwood parks board member Jim Ludlam expressed sadness at the tree’s destruction. He said it had been in poor health in recent years, with several limbs having been removed.

“It’s kind of an icon of the community,” Ludlam said. “I know there’s a couple other oak trees in there that are a pretty good size, but not as big around as the Old Oak Tree. It’s going to be a loss.”

Though sources like the municipality’s website state the tree is estimated to have started growing in the year 1497, both Parham and Ludlam said its demise could finally allow for its rings to be counted and see if the legend matches up with reality.

“The first time I saw that tree when I came to Souris was in 1958,” Ludlam said. “It’s been called 500 years old since then.”

Simon Ellis, a farmer living just north of Wawanesa, shared pictures of Twitter of one of his grain bins lying on its side, slightly crumpled. He quipped that he didn’t like cleaning the bin anyway.

In an email, he said a weather station near his farm reported the wind peaked in his area at 91 kilometres an hour.

“Regardless of the damage, we are very thankful for the rain, as our crops were on the verge of damage from drought,” he wrote.

» cslark@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @ColinSlark