Winds of change at home

Canada has never seen the severity like the twisters that tore through the U.S. in early May, 1999, or the frequency as in the fateful day of April 3, 1974 when 148 twisters touched down in 13 U.S. states – the worst tornado outbreak in U.S. history.

However, tornadoes have been reported in every province. One third of all twisters reported in Canada have occurred in Ontario, where a maximum of two per 10,000 square kilometres can be expected annually. There is a risk of some damage to a major southern Ontario city about once every 15 years, and severe damage once in about 25 years. The risk is also high near the international border in southern Saskatchewan and southwestern Manitoba, northwestern and northeastern Ontario, western Quebec and south-central Alberta.