Dunrobin after a tornado touched down
© Mike Le Couteur/Global NewsDunrobin after a tornado touched down in the area on Sept. 21, 2018.
The Ottawa airport was on backup power and social media lit up with video and photos of damage from tornadoes near the nation's capital on Friday.

Global News meteorologist confirmed that there were at least two tornadoes near Ottawa - one in the Dunrobin area, another in Gatineau.

Environment Canada confirmed that a tornado touched down in Dunrobin and Gatineau, Que.

The extreme weather came as a line of thunderstorms tracked across southern Ontario.

One storm intensified at Calabogie, and it showed the "classic radar signature of a tornado" by the time it arrived in Dunrobin.

The same tornado may have moved to Gatineau, but it's also possible that it lifted and then reformed there. It could also have been a single, long tornado that went all the way from Dunrobin to Gatineau.

Four patients suffered "serious traumatic" injuries in Ottawa and are currently being treated, according to Ottawa Paramedic Service. Two others suffered minor injuries and are currently in local hospitals.



The storms knocked out power to as many as 185,000 people in Ontario and Quebec.

Hydro Ottawa said at least 147,000 customers were affected by power outages.

Meanwhile, Hydro-Québec said over 125,000 customers were without power early on Friday night.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asked people to "stay safe and follow the instructions of first responders and check in with people who might need extra help."

"We're monitoring the situation and thinking of everyone affected."


The Professional Paramedic Association of Ottawa said they responded to 16 calls related to a tornado in the Dunrobin area, about 35 kilometres from Ottawa on Friday.

The organization said calls concerned people who were trapped in their homes, basements and cars as power lines went down.

This is what damage looked like in Dunrobin.

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