Tornado Spotted Near Brabant Lake
Thursday, August 14, 2003 at 12:58
Environment Canada officials say it was likely a tornado that hit an area near Brabant Lake late yesterday afternoon.
Spokesman Mike McDonald says the same storm cell then moved northeast to the Southend area, where it likely took the form of a plow wind.
There are reports from both areas of large sections of trees being completely levelled by the strong winds.
McDonald says he’s received eyewitness accounts of a tornado being spotted near Brabant Lake.
He notes the area levelled near Southend is about 2 miles wide and 5 miles long, which tells him it had likely transformed into a plow wind by that stage.
La Ronge resident Allyson Brown says her husband and his crew were doing highways work about 10 miles south of Brabant Lake yesterday when they were forced into their trucks by the strong winds and hail the size of grapes.
She says they didn’t see a tornado, but the winds were strong enough to shake their vehicles and equipment.
After the storm passed, Brown says her husband and his crew found a stretch of downed trees similar to the one reported near Southend.
There are no reports of anyone getting injured by yesterday’s storm.