Communities were left in a quandary after a strong thunderstorm tore through much of southern Ontario, leaving at least seven people dead and tens of thousands without electricity.
The latest deaths were confirmed Sunday afternoon. The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says a 77-year-old woman in Port Hope was hit by a falling tree “when a powerful weather system is moving through the area.”
The woman was pronounced dead on the spot.
Provincial police also told the Canadian Press that a 64-year-old woman had died after a tree fell into a home in the town of North Cavarta.
The other five deaths were confirmed on Saturday afternoon and evening.
In Brampton, Ont., A 70-year-old woman walking alone in the Belmont Drive and Birchbank Road area was hit by a falling tree. Police said the woman was rushed to hospital but later died.
Hours later, the OPP said a tree had fallen on a camping trailer in the protected area of Lake Pinehurst near Kitchener. One person was killed and two others were injured.
Two other deaths were confirmed in Ottawa. A 44-year-old man in Greater Madawasca and a 59-year-old man in the western part of the city have been pronounced dead after being hit by falling trees.
A fifth death was also confirmed in Quebec by Gatineau police. Investigators say a 51-year-old woman was killed when her boat capsized in the Ottawa River near Mason-Angers.
The storm erupted shortly after Environment Canada issued a weather warning and sent an emergency signal to Ontario residents.
By 1 p.m., winds near Kitchener were blowing at nearly 132 kilometers per hour, while at Pearson Airport in Toronto, winds were blowing at about 120 kilometers per hour.
Wind and rain caused many trees and live power lines to fall. By Saturday night, Hydro One said more than 350,000 people were without electricity after the storm.
Firefighters and utility workers work amid downed power lines, poles and traffic lights that fell on the roadway and on drivers during a major storm on Maryvale Road in Ottawa on Saturday, May 21, 2022. CANADIAN PRESS / Justin Tang
In Uxbridge, authorities declared a local state of emergency as a result of storm damage and massive power outages, which forced many roads to be closed. .
At 9:30 a.m. Sunday, Hydro One said just over 269,000 Ontario customers were without electricity.
“Additional resources have been called in to help restore power, but we expect it will take several days to recover all customers due to significant damage,” a storm warning on their website said.
With files from Canadian Press
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