[MolsonExport]

Some videos:
http://youtu.be/4e3t1lhtkYg
http://youtu.be/wh-Q9GweAms
http://youtu.be/met8lf4Jeuw
http://youtu.be/nNtzBSg1UYM
http://youtu.be/ovjtaR1vv5Y
http://youtu.be/tKgTuubEih4
http://youtu.be/ejuTB191k2Q
http://youtu.be/q8OBkShfMNs

[go_leafs_go02]

Absolutely incredible. That town will be rebuilt and become better than ever. Such a fantastic town - only been there maybe 2 to 3 times, but absolutely love it.

Here's a great album from the Free Press. Some crazy aerial photos showing the damage.

http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2011/08/21/18582591.html#/news/london/2011/08/21/pf-18582706.html

It was confirmed as an F3 tornado with 280 km/h winds. I've experienced 120 km/h before, I can't even imagine 280 km/h!

[MolsonExport]

^the level of devastation is unreal.

[go_leafs_go02]

yOL7X3-3BKc

[Simpseatles]

It's strange because I just visited Goderich for the first time about 3 weeks ago. Then, to see the town square for the first time since then, in the condition it's in now was a huge shock! And on top of causing severe damage to one of the prettiest towns in Canada, the damn tornado caused damage to the salt mine, which must be vital to the town's economy. It's hard to believe this happened so close to home. What an awful time for the people injured, left homeless, and the poor man who was killed. :(

[Snark]

It's strange because I just visited Goderich for the first time about 3 weeks ago. Then, to see the town square for the first time since then, in the condition it's in now was a huge shock! And on top of causing severe damage to one of the prettiest towns in Canada, the damn tornado caused damage to the salt mine, which must be vital to the town's economy. It's hard to believe this happened so close to home. What an awful time for the people injured, left homeless, and the poor man who was killed. :(

30 or so have had the whits knocked out of them, and will or will not recover the physical/mental trauma. Bad stuff indeed. Whether a car accident, plane crash, or tornado, such a thing is a profound trauma and is awful. The poor fellow who didn't make it? Terrible and sorrowful example of "wrong place, wrong time". I feel particularly bad for this fellow and family. After all, what are the odds of being killed by a tornado in Ontario in one's lifetime?

My family roots come from this area (Goderich, Seaforth, Brussels, Mitchell). Been there many times. Wonderful community Goderich is (was, will be). The church that my great uncle (and great guy - I wish I knew him when we were both 20 - boy there would have been trouble) was a member of for so many years and where I attended his funeral perhaps 14 years ago is the one now so widely published as representative of the demolition (the one with the top gone and the big stained glass windows blown out). I'm not a religious person (with reason), but I do believe that old churches in Ontario represent a true architectural and historical legacy that is truly unique and representative of historic Ontario. Like it or not, they played a huge role in Ontario society until perhaps 30-40 years ago when the community centre began to take up that role. When one walks into one of these old structures, one smells that wood - and the history. One sees the craftsmanship. One senses the deep history of the community.

One also tends to forget that until 30 or 40 years ago, rural and small/medium town Ontario represented the heart and soul of the province - not the cities. Basically, when something like this befalls a smaller community with a lot of history, the hit is harder.

On a more positive, more forward-looking side, perhaps this event can remind us of how rarely nature is truly harsh here. On most every day of the week we live in a bounty of benign safety. No volcanoes, a hurricane every 100 years, no famine, no true drought, and yes we had a BAD earthquake today: perhaps mag 3. Oh boy. In summer the thunderstorms come (at times with twisters), but rarely do we see the harm brought as was brought to Goderich.

It is perhaps because we live in such a fortunate place in this world that what happened in Goderich is so alarming. Tripoli alone saw 20 times that wreckage today. We are so accustomed to absolutely NOTHING bringing us harm here, that when the Four Horsemen decide to pay a brief, 10 minute visit, it is utterly surprising to us.

They almost never visit these parts, to our utter profit. If, every 15 years "Something Wicked This Way Comes" happens to happen, the most of us are fortunate.

So, consider our daily grievances. Consider the context in which they are set.

[MolsonExport]

Indeed. Which is one reason why we are not very fatalistic. Consider Japan, of which the culture thereof is extremely fatalistic. With the nation's history of Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Fires, etc., it is not surprising.

[go_leafs_go02]

Report of roads washed out in the Hale/Trafalgar area.

[manny_santos]

Saw a tree branch down along Highway 7 in St. Marys this evening, and traffic signals out at Hyde Park and Fanshawe Park Roads.

I was working in Wellington County earlier this evening and the clouds turned yellow, so I bailed out. I saw some of the most spectacular lightning I've seen in my life on the way home. The creepy thing was that I could see the sunset off to the west while there was lightning every 1-2 seconds.

[MolsonExport]

Last night could have been the most powerful thunderstorm that I have ever experienced first hand. I actually recorded a couple of minutes worth from my stoop in liver&onionsburg, before a wrath of God lightening bolt/thunderclap just about knocked me out of my skin.

[MolsonExport]

Twister fears in London

Twister fear grips area
TORNADO WARNING: Three days after Goderich’s pounding, black skies, high winds and unconfirmed reports of funnel cloud touchdowns keep residents on edge By JONATHAN SHER, The London Free Press

A spate of tornado warnings and sightings left the London region on edge Wednesday night mere days after a killer twister ravaged historic Goderich.

On what turned out to be a wild night, four tornadoes reportedly touched down, none packing the punch of the deadly storm that ravaged the Huron County town on Sunday.

Just the threat of a repeat stoked anxiety levels for much of the evening, leaving at least one resident in Goderich cowering in his basement as thunderstorms lashed the area and skies turned midnight black hours early.

Witnesses said they saw four tornadoes touch ground -- near Wyoming, Kettle Point, Parkhill and Lucknow. Those reports will be investigated Thursday by Environment Canada.

There were no confirmed reports of damage or injuries in the London region.

The high winds and dark skies left residents wary, even scared, in Goderich, where a category F3 tornado tore up that town's historic Courthouse Square Sunday, injuring many and killing one.

Read more here: http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2011/08/24/18596786.html

[sparky212]

was driving in that storm last night. Man there were puddles no more like ponds on hills. That was a big one.

[K85]

I was coming home from Montreal last night, and when he hit roughly the Guelph area... it's like someone took a bathtub of water, and continually poured it on the windshield... it came out of the blue. We almost got destroyed by a transport when we pulled over on the right shoulder, and he went RIGHT of us into the ditch to not hit us??? took us an extra hour to get home... Christ all-mighty that is easily the WORST storm I have ever seen, or been in...

[Canadian Mind]

Last night could have been the most powerful thunderstorm that I have ever experienced first hand. I actually recorded a couple of minutes worth from my stoop in liver&onionsburg, before a wrath of God lightening bolt/thunderclap just about knocked me out of my skin.

Wasn't the worst I've been in... But then I've suffered through hurricanes.

Still, doing a forced march to an ambush position, then carrying out the ambush on a training exercise was fucking badass. I had so much fun in that storm (being serious, it was amazing. Best ambush I have ever been a part of). :banana:

My only issue was that my machine gun was bright orange the next day. :(