'It came out of nowhere!' Aylmer tourist hotspot hit by extreme storm

The roof of a small SUV is smashed by a fallen tree following a sudden storm near Aylmer, Ontario on Monday, Aug. 5, 2024. (Source: Submitted)

An area southwest of Aylmer is cleaning up after a sudden storm Monday afternoon caught people off guard.

Hundreds of trees, tree branches, and even a flag pole were snapped along Rogers Road. Buildings and a vehicle were also damaged.

One of the properties hit the hardest is a local and tourist hotspot set in the woods.

The staff at the Pinecroft was busy serving indoor and outdoor guests a late lunch and beverages, around 2:15 p.m. Monday, when all of a sudden, "The sky darkened and the winds kicked up,” said Co-owner Sarah Smith.

"It was like a tornado. It was so loud. When it hit, the entire building shook. I was in the kitchen and the whole roof just shook. It was insane! She shared, adding, "It came out of nowhere. It was midnight, well, it t seemed like it was midnight. [It] got so black and poured rain."

As outdoor patio customers scrambled for cover just a few metres south, trees started snapping.

Another employee, who declined to share her name, explained what happened next.

Trees rest on the roof of the restaurant portion of Pinecroft on Aug. 5, 2024. (Source: Submitted)"The trees cracked and then about three trees, I believe at the same time, hit the roof."

A picture shared with CTV News London showed the trees resting on the rooftop. But outside of a cracked window pane, the roof of the century-old tea room held strong.

A nearby car did not fare as well after a large tree smashed directly into its roof.

Thankfully, despite the domino of falling timber, no customers or staff were hurt.

"Nobody got hurt. That's all we care about," agreed Smith. "Yes, there's lots of damage and cleanup to do, but not one person was hurt in any of this."

While it will take time to determine exactly what happened, the storm damage follows a clear path through the trees.

A flag pole snapped by wind on Rogers Road near Aylmer, Ont. on Aug. 6, 2024. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London)

CTV News London has reached out to the Northern Tornadoes Project at Western University to determine if an investigation will be started.

Meanwhile, Pinecroft staff have their theories.

"I'm not sure. I heard there were tornadoes in other places," said one. "I don't know that one hit here, but the wind was very, very strong. It seems fairly isolated. I don't live very far away and my house barely got any rain."

Pinecroft is closed Tuesday, but ownership hopes to be open Wednesday. They ask patrons to follow their social media accounts.