Saskatchewan saw 3 tornadoes, downburst during recent storms

Just days after severe storm damage forced it to close, Oxbow’s Co-op Food Store is back open as officials pinpoint the cause.

The Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP) has confirmed three additional tornadoes and a downburst occurred in southeastern Saskatchewan during a recent string of violent thunderstorms.

The first confirmed weather event included an EF0 tornado reported near Laporte, Sask., at 1:37 p.m. on Sunday, May 31.

A resident in the area witnessed the tornado and shot video of a funnel cloud south of Laporte. A search and satellite imagery revealed no visible damage in the area.

The three other incidents all occurred within 10 minutes of each other on Sunday, June 7.

Two EF1 tornadoes were reported in the areas of Glen Ewen and Carnduff.

The Glen Ewen tornado, which began at 8:10 p.m., led to a home, trees and a recreational trailer being damaged. More damage to power poles and trees in the area was discovered by survey teams.

Estimated wind speed during the event was 145 km/h. The tornado had an estimated track length of 6.83 kilometres (km) and max path width of 240 metres.

The Carnduff tornado was reported at 8:20 p.m. and resulted in a farm outbuilding being destroyed and damage to several trees. The max wind speed during that event was 140 km/h. The tornado had an estimated track length of 11.3 km and max path width of 780 metres.

The final weather event consisted of a downburst near Oxbow, Sask. Reportedly occurring at 8:20 p.m. the event caused damage to a commercial building, a barn and trees in the area. A further survey revealed damage to a grain bin.

The downburst was rated an EF0 given the damage left behind. The max wind speed during the event is thought to have topped out at 130 km/h — with damage being found over an area 15 km long and up to 6 km wide.

No injuries were reported in any of the events.

The latest string of confirmations brings the province’s annual total to six tornadoes and one downburst.

June 9 saw Saskatchewan experience its first EF3 tornado in the better part of two decades.

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