Amherstburg Records First Canadian Tornado Of 2024

Photo from the Northern Tornadoes Project

The first Canadian tornado of 2024 hit Amherstburg on March 16th, the Northern Tornadoes Project announced Monday.

Photo evidence of potential tornado damage sent to the research group led to a storm damage survey on Saturday April 13th.

A roof near County Road 50 had been removed from a well-anchored double-wide mobile home (max wind of 150 km/h giving an EF1 rating), there was shingle damage and a downed tree at another residence, and numerous pine and spruce trees were downed in a woodlot further along the track.

Officials say evidence from the nearby tower Doppler radar at Detroit Metro Airport clearly shows an area of tight rotation in the exact location where the damage occurred. They say rotation was located along the leading edge of thunderstorm outflow, making it a “QLCS tornado”. No tornado warning had been issued, and there were no reports of severe weather upstream in Michigan. In Ontario, the storm also generated severe hail.