Cleanup continues in several parts of Chatham-Kent following a severe storm that ripped across the region late Thursday night.
Crews from the Northern Tornadoes Project, based out of Western University, were in Chatham on Friday, surveying the damage. Officials have classified the storm as an EF0 downburst, which was focused on the northeast side of Chatham with numerous trees uprooted and snapped, large branches broken, and light roof damage to several homes.
A statement on the NTP website says certain atmospheric environments can result in downdrafts that may be strong enough to cause surface damage.
“While the rotating winds of a tornado converge at the surface then rise up into the storm, often resulting in narrow paths of chaotic damage, downburst winds descend and diverge beneath the storm and result in outward burst patterns of damage or wide areas with damage mostly from the same direction.”
The investigators say the August 24th storm, which prompted a tornado watch from Environment Canada, brought estimated maximum winds of 125 kilometres an hour, covering an area roughly 2500 metres wide.
The NTP team also conducted an investigation north of Dresden in connection to the August 23rd storm that brought high winds and heavy rain to the area. Officials say that has also been classified as an EF0 downburst, focusing on a four kilometre stretch from Dresden up to Bentpath.
That storm also resulted in snapped trees and damaged barns over a wide area.
In the meantime, area residents with downed branches on their property can bring them to the curb to be collected by Public Works crews over the next several weeks. Debris such as small brush can be taken to the Leaf and Yard Depot.
