Northern Tornadoes Project team in Windsor will determine if a tornado swept through Sunday night

Scientists from the Northern Tornadoes Project will work to determine whether a tornado touched down in Windsor on Sunday amid reports of damage in the region.

"We got some reports of severe wind damage from a few different areas across the Windsor Essex region," said Connell Miller, engineering researcher for the Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP), which is based at the University of Western Ontario.

Their team was in the Windsor region Monday.

"We're here trying to document the damage, determine whether a tornado may have occurred, and if so, what was the strength of it, as well as the length and width and other characteristics of the event."

Connell Miller is an engineering researcher for the Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP). A NTP team was in Windsor on Monday, June 26, to determine whether a tornado touched down in the area on Sunday evening. (Jacob Barker/CBC)

The Northern Tornadoes Project crew will be surveying several locations in Windsor and Essex County while in the area, including Beach Grove Golf and Country Club.

Miller said they haven't yet determined a tornado took place — that'll come after study of the damage patterns, intensity, and length and width of the damage area.

"What makes us want to come out to this event was specifically some of the images that we saw from social media as well as some of the activity that was going on on the radar that may indicate a more significant wind event than usual," Miller said.

They should have more information on whether a tornado occurred by tomorrow, Miller added.

Videos on social media show debris in the air

Several social media users reported seeing debris in the air and downed trees in the Windsor-Essex area.

One user shared a video showing the wind push around and flip their trampoline and playground set. A downed fence could also be seen in the background.

Kelly Hobelmas, a meterologist with Environment Canada, told CBC Windsor the federal weather agency received several reports on social media of a possible tornado at around 6:45 p.m. ET during Sunday night's "severe" storm.

Between 6:30 and 6:45 p.m., Hobelmas said, a line of thunderstorms was moving through southwestern Ontario.

Dave Sills, executive director of the Northern Tornadoes Project, said debris in the air is usually a sign of a possible tornado.

He said once there's wind damage, there's a limited number of options as to what could have happened.

"It can either be due to a tornado, or due to a downburst, or it's possible that it's due to something we call a gustnado," he said.

"Usually with tornadoes [we're looking for] that long, narrow damage path. And the damage is often quite isolated. The track is usually only a few 100 metres wide, especially with a tornado that's just produced damage like this one."

Parts of a tree log at the Beachgrove Golf Course in Tecumseh. (Sonya Varma/CBC)

Sills said that after looking at radar data, sending a team to the area and with the help of "citizen scientists," they would know whether or not there was a tornado by the end of Monday.

"There's also other damage in Windsor in east end and Forest Glade in Essex ... and even near Chatham. So all of these locations will be surveyed by the crew heading out this morning."

Jason Moore, the City of Windsor's senior manager of communications and customer service, said in an email to CBC Windsor on Monday the city received 56 calls to its 311 line regarding downed trees, with "no significant damage to the city."