Tornado rips apart barn near Melville, Sask., 2nd tornado destroys modular home | Globalnews.ca

2022-06-29 04:13:36 By : Mr. Ray Chow

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UPDATE: Environment Canada says preliminary assessments indicate both tornadoes were EF2 strength.

Environment Canada tells Global News that preliminary assessments indicate that both tornadoes that touched down in the Yorkton area were EF2 strength.

That means the twisters could have carried winds up to 217 km/h.

The R.M. of Cana declared a state of emergency Tuesday due to storm damage followed by the R.M. of Orkney on Wednesday morning.

The two tornadoes that touched down in southeastern Saskatchewan have left significant damage to several farms and a home, but no injuries.

Environment Canada said the first tornado hit the ground at about 4 p.m. Sunday north of Melville, Sask., which ripped apart a barn, trees and tossed bins and bales about.

READ MORE: Southern rural Alberta gets hit hard by tornado-like winds

Meteorologist Jason Knight said a second tornado touched down about five kilometres away at about 5:20 p.m. that destroyed a modular home, but the family inside was able to escape without injury.

Knight said there was substantial flooding in Yorkton, Sask., where up to 60 millimetres of rain fell in a short time and wind gusted up to 109 km/h as the storm reached Manitoba.

He said hail the size of tennis balls belted the Yorkton area and Environment Canada was investigating a third unconfirmed tornado near Camperville, Man., Sunday night.

WATCH: Two confirmed tornadoes ripped through south-east Saskatchewan farming communities

Duane McKay, Saskatchewan’s commissioner of emergency management, said there was a report of damage to a commercial chicken operation and a feedlot, as well as two homes, but there were no reports of anyone being hurt.

McKay said power was knocked out in some areas.

“I think there were a lot of poles that were snapped off due to wind and a lot of trees down blocking traffic on rural grids,” McKay said, noting there may also be some crop damage from the hail.

READ MORE: What to do when you spot a funnel cloud

Twitter users posted numerous pictures of funnel cloud formations, along with videos of flash flooding in Yorkton that showed vehicles splashing through water-filled streets.

McKay said flooding in downtown Yorkton was dissipating on Sunday.

“Most communities are handling the response themselves, not requiring any major response from the province,” McKay said.

Tornado!! 5:31pm leech lake #skstorm highway 9 south of yorkton pic.twitter.com/roulsmldIU

— Katie Vickers (@katielyn_213) July 31, 2016

We were an hour south east of the #skstorm in Yorkton, but still got these suckers! #duckmountain @TornadoGreg pic.twitter.com/54TZ9sFmbH

— Beastmode Broker (@steelmtg) August 1, 2016

A flooded #Yorkton is almost kind of peaceful #skstorm pic.twitter.com/8xT04RfkaV

— Justus Hickey (@justushickey) August 1, 2016

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