Tornadoes Are More Powerful Than We Realize

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Numerous homes were damaged, dozens were injured and power lines were downed Friday when two powerful tornadoes touched down in Ontario and Quebec, Canada.

On Saturday, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson said areas near Canada's capital city, Ottawa, were like a "war zone." At least 60 buildings were wiped out or partially destroyed in the suburb of Dunrobin, the Associated Press reports.

"It looked like it was something from a movie scene or a war scene," Watson told reporters Saturday of the suburb that lies about 22 miles west of downtown Ottawa. "Literally, it looks like some bomb was dropped from the air."

Environment Canada meteorologist Peter Kimbell on Saturday confirmed that two tornadoes struck the area on Friday. The first, which struck Dunrobin just before 5 p.m. and crossed the Ottawa River into Gatineau, was rated a high EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita scale with winds of 150-155 mph. The second tornado touched down about 6:30 p.m. in Ottawa's Arlington Woods neighborhood. Kimbell said it was a high EF2, with wind speeds of 137-143 mph.

Dozens of people suffered injuries, including two people who remain in critical condition, one in serious condition and two others who are reportedly stable. 

More than 150,000 customers remained without power Saturday in the wake of the storm, AP reports. 

Bobby Ryan, a winger for the Ottawa Senators hockey team, told the Ottawa Citizen it was a close call for him and his family. Ryan, his wife, Danielle, and their two children live near Dunrobin. 

“We got lucky,” Ryan said Saturday. “Somebody said that it was within a quarter-mile of us at one point. There’s nothing at our place. There’s a lot of trees down in our backyard, but that’s about it, and there was no power for a long time.

Ryan said his family's prayers are with the victims.

"It’s a terrible event, but I know the city will bounce back and our thoughts are with everybody,” Ryan said. 

On Friday, the Ottawa paramedics association tweeted that it had responded to 16 tornado-related calls in the Dunrobin area, including people trapped in homes, basements, and cars, injuries from debris, and secondary trauma from the winds.

Social media posts showed damage in Gatineau, across the Ottawa River in Quebec, Canada.

The Gatineau Police Service said buses were sent to take people whose homes were damaged to emergency shelters.

Dan Spinks told CBC that his home in Dunrobin along with his neighbor's home were both leveled. 

"I wasn't hearing [anything]. I knew the house was getting hammered," Spinks said. "I went under the stairs in the basement. I have a closet. I hid."