middle of the sky

one touched down there on saturday...tents were flying asround sakeeng

Annie Fawn

Are ya'll okay? The storms this year are getting mean early. Lightening hit the transformer across the street from us and blew the transformer off the power pole as well as knocked the sides off 1 of those big phone boxes. Sure had us jumping around here when it happened! lol

__________________
Courage is just fear that has said it's prayers.

between2worlds

http://www.winnipegsun.com/News/Mani...21273-sun.html

GULL LAKE, Man. -- At least one woman was killed and many seriously injured when a powerful tornado cut a wide swath through Manitoba's scenic cottage country yesterday.

RCMP said they believed all campers and residents were accounted for at press time.

The twister devastated the tiny community of Gull Lake, uprooting 100-year-old trees, obliterating buildings and tossing a catamaran onto the second-floor deck of a cabin as if it were a children's toy.

POWERFUL WINDS

Tornadoes also touched down in nearby communities of Patricia Beach, Beaconia and Grand Marais. The areas are about 80 km northeast of Winnipeg.


In Gull Lake, powerful winds flipped a trailer onto its roof, killing a 64-year-old woman inside and critically injuring her husband, campers said.

"All I could do was say a little prayer," said Kelly Fisher, a doctor who tried desperately to save the woman's life. "We're just lucky that there weren't more people injured."

The woman's husband suffered serious injuries to his legs, witnesses said.

No one in Manitoba had been killed by a twister since July 1977, when a devastating F4 with wind speeds up to 417 km/h ripped though Rosa and claimed three lives.

About eight or nine tornadoes touch down in Manitoba each year, although many more go unreported.

Campers at Gull Lake said the weather was calm when, about 5:30 p.m., the wind suddenly picked up, and rain and hail began to fall.

The system produced thunder and lightning. Environment Canada had issued a severe weather warning.

Chaos erupted minutes later when the tornado, roaring from west to east, cut across the enclosed lake and made a beeline towards the north shore.

People in its path froze in horror, not knowing whether to stay put or try to find a safer spot. They compared it with a scene from a big-budget movie.

"I thought, 'Oh my God, I'm going to die,' " Katie Greenhalgh, 15, said. "I'm pretty sure my life flashed before my eyes."

Fisher said the winds reminded her of those she experienced while working in the Cayman Islands in 2004 when Hurricane Ivan barrelled through.

Some said the tornado touched down for about 30 seconds before it retreated into the sky and continued to skip across cottage country. Others said it felt like two minutes.

Trailers were ripped off their bases and torn apart. An eight-person outhouse is no longer standing.

Cabins stood relatively untouched but were without power and telephone service because of downed lines.

A catamaran on the shore was picked up and thrown onto the deck of Laura Kirk's family's cabin.

"We're not sure how we're going to get it down," Kirk said. "It's so rare to see this much action on our lake."

In the aftermath, people rushed outside to check on their property and neighbours. Many people suffered minor injuries such as scrapes, cuts and possible broken bones.

Seeing the damage and casualties brought them to tears. They were still in shock hours later while surveying the damage. Downed trees damaged cabins and vehicles.

"You think of everybody down south and this is only a piece of what they go through," said Debbie Fielding, who watched from across the lake.

SEARCHED FOR PEOPLE

Nearby, a police officer stood beside the dead woman's body. Neighbours knew her on a first-name basis. Police did not identify her.

Mounties blocked access roads into the campground. Manitoba Conservation officers prevented people from entering or leaving while RCMP members and canine units searched for people under the rubble and downed trees.

People who live south of Gull Lake and in Brokenhead Ojibway First Nation reported seeing the twister.

Alan Herie watched from his rooftop seven kilometres away.

He said the tornado was on the ground for no more than five minutes. Its funnel lifted once and touched down a second time before he lost sight of it in the rain.

The twister was part of a huge storm that delivered a wide swath of sustained wind and hail damage from Inwood -- at least 50 km west of Gull Lake -- to Pointe du Bois, about 100 km east of the area near the Manitoba/Ontario boundary.

Pointe du Bois was also hard hit, with reports of injuries there as the storm moved out of the province.

Singing Eagle

OMG - it was bad you guys! I don't live close to there but friends do - they're fine and so is their land and buildings. We went up to the powwow at Sagkeeng this afternoon and saw some of the damage - trees down on Highway 59. On our way back, we came around to stop by and check on friends that live in that area and saw a farm stead that was in very bad shape. It looked like a scene from the movie twister - grain buildings down the highway about a mile and twisted metal all over. I hope they're all okay at that farm.

little bird

Glad you all are alright!!!

__________________
"Riches from the heart can not be stolen."