Environment Canada is still in the process of assessing damage caused by a tornado that struck western Manitoba last week.
The government agency has given the tornado a preliminary rating of EF-0 on the enhanced Fujita Scale; the lowest rating on the scale. While it was considered a relatively weak tornado, Environment Canada stated that the storm system still generated speeds between 90 and 130kph.
The agency said that it received reports of severe wind gusts causing damage in Brandon, as well as reports of quarter-sized hail and heavy rain from thunderstorms in other parts of Manitoba. Brandon also saw between 40 and 50mm of rainfall.
In Brandon, the tornado caused damage to trees in the area, knocking down some branches. CTV News reported that the city has been undergoing a clean-up to remove fallen branches off the roads.
A spokesperson for Manitoba Hydro told The Brandon Sun that during the tornado, the utilities company activated an emergency operations centre to coordinate restoration efforts in the area. The representative added that while the tornado did not cause too much damage to the energy infrastructure, the winds were strong enough to bring down power lines in the city.
Manitoba Hydro continued to work on restoring power to individual households affected by the storm over the weekend, The Brandon Sun said.
The tornado came just a week after another large storm system struck the region. That previous tornado was so strong, that it claimed the lives of a man and a teenager after it flung their vehicle over 1km.
