WINDSOR, Ont. — More than a dozen homes were damaged and at least three people injured Wednesday evening amid multiple reports of a possible tornado touching down in southwestern Ontario.
Environment Canada said an eyewitness saw a tornado near LaSalle, a bedroom community near Windsor, at about 7:10 p.m. ET.
The agency described the storm and possible tornado as a "dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation" before lifting its tornado warning at about 8 p.m.
Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said about 15 homes had been damaged in the storm and that the Red Cross and city agencies were trying to determine how to best help the affected residents.
"We're just trying to assess what needs to be done to make sure those folks are taken care of by the way of accommodation for this evening."
Dilkens also told a late night news briefing at a city fire station that three people suffered non-life threatening injuries.
"There were three people transported to hospital ... the injuries were reported as not life-threatening, not critical injuries, but they were taken to hospital as a precaution."
Windsor police were warning residents to avoid the Deziel Dr. area because of damage.
They also reported that hydro poles had been knocked down and there were some live wires as a result.
Lasalle resident Tom Greer said he was on his back porch with his girlfriend watching the storm when he saw funnel clouds forming in the distance.
"I've never seen anything like it before," said Greer, adding that he saw tree branches and other debris swirling around.
He said the area with the most damage was just a kilometre from his home.
"We went for a drive afterward and some houses had the roofs torn off," Greer said of the homes on Victory Street — the area that he said sustained the most damage.
A spokeswoman for Environment Canada said a team would be in the area early Thursday to assess the damage and confirm whether a tornado had touched down.
