LEAMINGTON, Ont. — Environment Canada has confirmed an F-1 tornado touched down in Leamington, Ont., early Sunday morning.
Tornadoes are ranked one to five, with one considered to be on the low end of the scale and causing moderate damage.
The storm left a path of destruction that was two kilometres long and one kilometre wide, including uprooted trees and torn off roofs. There were no reports of serious injuries.
Officials had said about 400 metres of that appeared to have been caused by a tornado, and also confirmed today the rest of the damage was caused by a downburst.
Hydro One says downed power lines left about 4,500 customers without power after the storm, but crews working through the night managed to restore power to more than half of them by this morning.
The utility says most customers should have their lights back on by late tonight, but some may have to wait until Tuesday afternoon.
“Our crews are working tirelessly to clean up the downed trees and repair the broken lines and poles so that the local community can get back to business as soon as possible,” said Hydro One spokesman Myles D’Arcey.
Residents are being warned to be careful when cleaning up debris, especially if downed hydro lines are in the area.
Building-supply stores reported brisk business for items such as tarps, plywood, chain saws and generators.