A series of storms tore through southern Quebec on Saturday, digging up trees, causing a highway shutdown and leaving hundreds of thousands without electricity.
Environment Canada has illuminated its residents’ phones with warnings of potentially life-threatening storms, encouraging people to take shelter from the violent weather that is raging in the southern part of the province.
“It happened super fast,” said Melissa Dufresne, who found herself on the path of strong winds during a vacation at her friend’s property in Saint-Jovite, Quebec.
She was sitting in a gazebo surrounded by trees, many of which had broken under pressure.
“It was like 10 seconds, all this destruction,” she told CTV as she was surrounded by fallen trees and debris.
Fortunately, no one was injured and the horses were safely gathered inside before the storm struck.
“We were screaming,” she said. “All the trees were falling at once.”
Strong winds felled several trees in Saint-Jovite, Que., Blocking access to the road on May 21, 2022 (Image courtesy of Amelie Fardeau)
Near the place where Dufresne was sitting, a large tree had been uprooted from the ground, breaking a fence running the length of the property.
Several people wrote to CTV that roads were blocked and traffic was stopped due to the storm. Others complained of power outages and sent photos of hail the size of gum.
Saint Gregoire resident Nancy Sisi took this photo of the hail that fell during thunderstorms on Saturday, May 21, 2022 (Photo courtesy of Nancy Sisi)
By 5 pm, 200,000 people were without electricity, according to Hydro Quebec.
“We want to assure you that we are doing everything we can to restore power as quickly as possible,” the company said in a statement on its website.
The storm was caused in part by a mass of hot air traveling west through lower Quebec. Storm clouds swept over some areas, wreaking havoc on others.
This air mass also caused intense heat in the morning in Montreal, with humidity estimates projected for the 1930s.
Some areas in Quebec are still under warnings of thunderstorms. An up-to-date list can be found on the Environment Canada website.
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