Heat wave of 2006 derecho series
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The Northeastern Ontario derecho was a severe wind event that occured on July 17, 2006 accross a large portion of northeastern and eastern Ontario as well as portions of southwestern Quebec.
The Event
The derecho originated from a severe thunderstorm that was forming across portions of northern Michigan in the early afternoon hours of July 17. Quickly as it cross the North Channel into Ontario near Sault Ste. Marie, it quickly developped into a line and eventually into a derecho. As it crossed Manitoulin Island just south of Sault Ste. Marie, there have some reports that numerous trees were uprooted and some homes sustained damage at times heavy. Tornado warnings were issued for the area and the amount of damage reported may have been caused by a tornado
At about 3:30-4:00 PM the storm raced through Sudbury toppling hydro poles and trees. Highway 69 the major route that links Sudbury to Toronto had to be shut down because of electrical wires that covered the roadway. At that point the derecho started to take a form of a coma shaped much like the form of an intense low pressure system.
At about 5 PM, the storm then affected North Bay a city of over 50 000. Numerous trees were completely levelled. Just south of the city radio towers and a lighthouse were also demolished by the violent winds. Tornado warnings were also in effect for the area but no confirmed have been confirmed yet or reported. At the same time, the storm affected the Algonquin Park region (mostly the northern portion)) and killed one person in injured another in Kiosk a small community located at the northern end of the park.
Through the next two hours the storm entered the Upper Ottawa Valley affecting places such as Mattawa, Barry's Bay, Deep River, Chalk River, Petawawa and Pembroke. Structural damage have been reported in the latter two communities with some roofs damaged or blowned off and some homes sustained also roof damage. In Mattawa, a state of emergency was declared shortly after the storm slammed through the area.
After crossing the Pembroke area, the derecho started to lose some steam. At times, the storm moved at a speed rate of over 100 KM/H (to possibly 120) but had slow down somewhat when in entered into portions of the Pontiac region in western Quebec. Also, the line started to be more deformed especially in its southern end. Still, the storms carried a lot of lightning strikes as it crossed portions of the Outaouais region, the city of Gatineau and exterme northern portions of the city of Ottawa, primarly closer to the Ottawa River at around 9 PM. Areas such as Chelsea, Cantley, La Peche, Notre-Dame du Laus and Kazabazua were hardly hit. Spectacular lightining was seen from downtown Ottawa and when the storm was close enough, some pinkish color could have been seen in the northern sky. In the Upper Gatineau region north of the National Capital Region, several houses had damage, and scores of trees were snapped by winds in excess of 90 KM/H. 5 were injured by a tree falling in their tent at a camping site in Notre-Dame du Laus. The city of Ottawa itself escaped the worst of the derecho effects as well as much of Gatineau.
During the rest of the late evening, the activity weakened as it travel through southern Quebec and eastern Ontario, but still contained a fair amount of lightning when it crossed the Laurentians north of Montreal.
Aftermath
As a result of the storm at least one person die in the Algonquin Park region while another person was injured there too. Several other injuries occured in many areas hit by the storms. Also, two people were breifly missing at the La Verendrye Park during the height of the storm.
Hydro One said that over 170 000 customers were left without and the 90 % of the city of North Bay have lost their power as a result of the storm. All of Manitoulin Island was without power. Many others areas such as the Sudbury area, as well as the Upper Ottawa Valley in Pembrooke, Mattawa and Petawawa also had major power outages.[1]. Major outages was also reported in several areas in Quebec particually in the Outaouais region. In total, several thousands of Hydro-Quebec lost power. However, if the storms would have move a few kilometres south, thus hitting directly the city of Ottawa and downtown Gatineau, these numbers would have been much higher and the damage would have been more dramatic.
Damage tallies are unknown as of yet. Environment Canada will investigate some of the damage caused particularly in the Manitoulan Island area.
Heat Wave
The derecho that crosses into Ontario was the result of a warm and very humid airmass that had plagued much of Eastern Canada and the vast majority of the U.S. Temperatures in most localities including Toronto, Ottawa, Windsor and Montreal were exceeding 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Farenheit) while Humidex values were exceeding well over 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Farenheit) in some areas. This heat wave was somewhat simillar but less deadly then the 1995 Heat Wave which had also produced several derechos across the Great Lakes.
Secondary storms
On July 17, a cold front was also crossing the area and numerous other lines of severe thunderstorms (near-derecho status have caused damage in many areas in Ontario and in Quebec. Almost every major center in southern Ontario was hit by at least one storm. Another person was killed in Peterborough when a tree fell into a tent during the passage of a secondary line of storms that slammed through the area late Monday night. In Toronto, sudden winds including a 98 KM/H wind gust at Pearson International Airport caused the lost of power of thousands of residents. In Larder Lake in northern Ontario there have been a tornado that occured earlier in that morning caused significant damage to trailers injuring one man.
The cold front had brought a short relief from the heat and humidity across Ontario and Quebec for the next day.