Tornado touches down in Mirabel, Que., downpour closes roads in Montreal
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has confirmed a tornado hit the Mirabel area north of Montreal, as heavy storms persist throughout southern Quebec.
Two severe weather alerts were sent to cellphones in the afternoon — one shortly before 3 p.m., warning of a potential tornado heading for the Montreal area and another sent at 5:08 p.m. about a possible marine tornado in the region.
"Tornadoes are often wrapped in rain and may not be visible," the second warning said, as rain battered the city.
The initial tornado warning covered several areas, including Lachute, Vaudreuil-Dorion, Salaberry-de-Valleyfield and the region of Rawdon-Joliette.
"The Doppler radar indicates a potential tornado over Laval tracking northeastward. This is a dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation," ECCC said on its website around 4:15 p.m.
Tornado watches were issued for several areas of southern Quebec earlier in the day, including the Laurentians, Lanaudière, Lacolle and Mauricie regions and cities such as Drummondville, Saint-Hyacinthe, Victoriaville, Bécancour and Gatineau. Those watch alerts remain in effect.
The alerts come after a tornado touched down earlier today in the Ottawa neighbourhood of Barrhaven.
When ECCC confirmed a tornado had taken place in Mirabel at around 4:30 p.m., it did not share details about its size or damage. Photos and videos taken by residents emerged of cloud formations amid a backdrop of greenish blue skies.
The tornado alert for Montreal was dropped after 4 p.m. and downgraded to a tornado watch for the metropolitan area, Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante said on Twitter.
The Decarie expressway is closed near Jean-Talon because of water accumulation.
Philippe Sabourin, a spokesperson with the city of Montreal, urged residents to avoid low areas where water can gather. The city was going to monitor the situation over the coming hours. "Take shelter, don't take unnecessary risks," he said.
"We're already starting to see some showers that have moved into Quebec — thunderstorms are just on the doorstep," said Monica Vaswani, a warning preparedness meteorologist for ECCC, in an interview.
Asked how likely it is for a tornado to actually touch down in Quebec, Vaswani said a watch alert from ECCC is a good indication that "all of the ingredients are available for a tornado to be produced."
"Relative to a day where you would only get, for example, a severe thunderstorm watch [alert], there is a higher potential today that there could be a tornado produced out of the system," she said.
Strong winds and heavy rainfall hit Montreal late in the afternoon Thursday.
In an emailed statement to Radio-Canada, city of Montreal spokesperson Gonzalo Nunez said the city is closely monitoring the development of the situation.
"Montreal is ready to intervene with its teams if damage occurs to municipal infrastructure and facilities, such as sewer backups, floods, water main breaks, fallen trees on public roads," he wrote.
Citizens can also call 311 to report flooding and other related issues. For an emergency situation involving the health and safety of people or the safety of a building, people can call 911 for help.
How to prepare and stay safe
According to ECCC, if you hear a roaring sound or see a funnel cloud, swirling debris near the ground, flying debris, or any threatening weather approaching, take shelter immediately.
Vaswani says a green sky could also be an indication of an imminent tornado.
"You want to head indoors immediately," she said.
People should get to the lowest possible level of their home, preferably a basement, and keep away from windows and sharp objects. A fully enclosed space, such as a bathtub, can also provide some protection.
While a vehicle is not an ideal place to be during a tornado, if you do find yourself in that situation, keep low and hunker down in your vehicle, Vaswani says.
