Chatham, Ont. storm which downed dozens of trees classified as EF0 downburst
Nick Kamarlingos and his wife Nancy had decided to move from the front room of their house to the kitchen just moments before a tree crushed the front of their Gregory Drive home.
“We stepped into the kitchen and all we heard big bang on the roof when it came down,” said Kamarlingos, as he watched a tree service crew cut apart the tree.
He added, “We had just put that porch on last week, and finished shingling the roof. But we're very lucky that it was the porch which actually took the brunt of the hit to save the house.”
A few blocks away, residents on Selkirk Street were some of the 300 still without power more than 36 hours after the storm, which came through late in the day on Aug. 24.
“It has been so chaotic,” said Steve Melnyk, a Selkirk Street resident who lives steps away from where a massive tree fell, closing the road for more than two days.
Nick Kamarlingos records video of a tree being removed from on top of his home in Chatham, Ont. on Aug. 26, 2023. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)
“We heard a thump looked outside, and I thought it [the tree] hit my van. There were sparks everywhere and it was just a mess. We were lucky enough to have cars in the driveway but the neighbours’ cars are all on the road because they don’t have driveways, and all three got totalled,” he explained.
The Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP) research team from London, Ont.’s Western University surveyed the Chatham area Friday.
“In Chatham there was straight line wind damage, and all trees falling in the same direction, so we classified as that as an EF0 downburst,” explained Francis Lavigne-Theriault, a NTP research associate.
A tree was ripped from the ground on Selkirk Street in Chatham, Ont. after an EF0 downburst on Aug. 24, 2023. (Brent Lale/CTV News London).
He added, "Across the city it was widespread, but fairly localized. There were trees down, tree branches and damage to roofs".
At least four different tree service teams were in the city on Saturday, and hydro crews had restored power to nearly all homes.
“My power was out for 16 hours, but it’s awesome to see how they are working,” said Chatham resident Tim Haskell. “They brought back power to like 12,000 people within hours, and I think they deserve a hand.”
A car on Selkirk Street in Chatham, Ont. was destroyed after an EF0 downburst on Aug. 24, 2023. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Serial sexual offender linked to unsolved 1970s homicides of four Calgary girls, women
An investigation into unsolved historical homicides from the 1970s has linked the deaths of two girls and two young women in and around Calgary to a now-deceased serial offender.
Woman with liver failure rejected for a transplant after medical review highlights alcohol use
For nearly three months, Amanda Huska has been in an Ontario hospital, part of it on life support, because of severe liver failure. Her history of alcohol use is getting in the way of her only potential treatment: a liver transplant.
Dabney Coleman, actor who specialized in curmudgeons, dies at 92
Dabney Coleman, the mustachioed character actor who specialized in smarmy villains like the chauvinist boss in '9 to 5' and the nasty TV director in 'Tootsie,' has died. He was 92.
Information commissioner faces $700K funding shortfall, says system is 'overwhelmed'
Canada's information commissioner says her office is facing a $700,000 funding shortfall that could impact its ability to investigate complaints about government transparency and accountability.
BREAKING Craig Berube named as next head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have named Craig Berube as their new head coach.
B.C. man 'attacked suddenly' by adult grizzly near Alberta boundary: RCMP
A B.C. man is recovering from multiple injuries after he was "attacked suddenly" by an adult grizzly bear near Elkford Thursday afternoon.
Australia's richest woman seeks removal of her portrait from exhibition
Art is subjective. And while many artists long to share their work with the world, there's no guarantee that the audience will understand it, or even like it.
Backlash over NFL player Harrison Butker's commencement speech has reached a new level
The NFL is distancing itself from controversial comments by Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker during a recent commencement address.
Person charged in random assault on actor Steve Buscemi in New York
A person wanted in connection with the random assault on actor Steve Buscemi on a New York City street earlier this month was taken into custody Friday, police said.