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A skylight torn from the roof of a house by a tornado is visible in Dunrobin, Ontario, Canada, west of Ottawa on Saturday, September 22, 2018. The storm destroyed the roofs of the houses. homes, overturned the cars and dropped the power lines. (Justin Tang / The Canadian Press via AP)
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On Saturday, September 22, 2018, residents leave a neighborhood of Gatineau, Quebec, with some of their belongings. A tornado Friday afternoon destroyed roofs of houses, knocked down cars and dropped power lines in Dunrobin and Gatineau. . (Fred Chartrand / The Canadian Press via AP)
OTTAWA, Ontario – A powerful tornado that dug a path through parts of Canada's capital destroyed trees, wiped out cars and destroyed dozens of homes, leaving what the city's mayor termed a "war scene".
More than 150,000 customers were still without electricity as a result of the tornado that swept Friday night in Ottawa's west and south neighborhoods, as well as densely populated neighborhoods in the neighboring city of Gatineau, Quebec.
Authorities said dozens of people were injured, but no deaths were reported. The Ottawa Hospital tweeted that two people were in critical condition, one was in serious condition and two others were stable. Officials set up shelters for those who could not go home and said that crisis counseling would be available.
"It seemed like it was a movie or a war scene," Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson told reporters Saturday, describing what he saw in the Dunrobin area, where some 60 buildings were destroyed. "Literally, it looks like a bomb has been dropped from the air."
Much of Dunrobin, a semi-rural community located about 35 kilometers west of downtown Ottawa, remained encircled by police.
Personal items were scattered everywhere: a baby blanket, a lifejacket, mattresses, lawnmowers, a refrigerator, a sink placed on the grass and even a loveseat surrounding a telephone pole.
The meteorologist Simon Legault said that strong winds were visible between 112 and 137 miles per hour (180 and 220 kilometers per hour).
