Tornado confirmed as Wellesley and Wilmot Townships sustain storm damage

A drone photo of a barn shows missing parts of its roof and some tree damage on Weimar Line, the location of the worst damage in Wellesley Township. Northern Tornado Project photo

By Lee Griffi

The Northern Tornado Project has confirmed a tornado touched down outside of the Village of Wellesley on Sept. 2.

While the organization’s full report has not been released, confirmation was made to the Gazette just before press time.

“There was straight-line wind damage in Wellesley proper that was part of a larger swath of widespread wind damage from the Lake Huron shore south of Goderich to about Brantford. But we also identified an EF1 tornado that had a roughly west-to-east track just north of Wellesley, one of several EF0 to EF1 tornadoes on this day,” said a statement.

The NTP will release more information this week.

Samantha Sernoski, the township’s executive administrator of communications, said most of the damage was concentrated between Bamberg and the Village of Wellesley, along the Weimer Line and Hessen Strasse corridor.

“A number of hydro poles were knocked down on Hutchison Road between Deborah Glaister and Streicher Line, as well as a transformer fire on Queensbush Road and hydro lines being down along Weimer Line. Trees and branches were uprooted and broken off throughout the Township. David Street in the Village of Wellesley was closed due to trees on the road, making access impossible.”

She added the township’s chief building official identified structural damage to eight rural barns and drive sheds ranging from roof damage to full collapse.

“No injuries have been reported and no livestock lost. The public works department called in staff to clean up debris and close roads, and all three township fire halls and available firefighters responded.”

Hydro was restored to the majority of the township in the early morning of Thursday, Sept. 3.

Wellesley Township Mayor Joe Nowack released a statement the day after the storm.

“I would like to convey council’s appreciation for a well-coordinated response to this significant weather event. Enova Technicians, Wellesley Township Firefighters and our public works crew worked tirelessly through the night to maintain services and keep our residents safe. As the cleanup begins, stay safe and help each other if you are able.”

Enova stated a severe thunderstorm moved through Waterloo Region at approximately 5 p.m., bringing strong winds with gusts of up to 110 km/h, heavy rain, lightning, and tornado warnings.

“The storm caused widespread outages across our service territory, particularly in Wilmot and Wellesley Townships and sections of Waterloo and Kitchener. At the peak of the storm, approximately 20,000 customers were without power,” said a statement.

Wilmot Township also released a statement on Tuesday.

“Downed power lines caused several road closures in Wilmot following last Wednesday’s storm. Enova Power has since removed the lines, and all roads have safely reopened. Staff continue to clear trees and debris from local roads, parks, and trails. Clean-up efforts could extend into next week as staff balance this work with ongoing construction projects.”  

Residents who see downed trees or debris on roads, boulevards, in parks, or along trails are encouraged to report them by emailing publicworks@wilmot.ca.

“We thank residents for their patience and understanding as staff continue this work,” added the statement.