Significant damage was observed in several regions of Quebec after the storm, many Quebecers testified.
• Also read: Another 300,000 Hydro-Québec customers were without power 24 hours after the storm
• Also read: More tornado and heavy thunderstorm clocks
• Also read: A rare meteorological phenomenon has hit Quebec
Obviously, many electrical installations were damaged, but also trees, houses and vehicles. TVA Nouvelles traveled to the affected regions to assess the situation.
The Laurentians region won the Palme d’Or for power outages. In addition, much damage was observed, particularly in Saint-Jérôme, where roofs were torn off, trees were shattered and debris was blown by the wind.
For Richard Debien, resident of Saint-Jérôme, Saturday’s storm hit harder than ever. “It started to get very windy, the trees were down. The neighbor’s roof fell off my edge and a large tree fell, taking the power cords with it. It hit hard. At the height of the storm, the head of my 20-foot birch tree hit the ground,” he explained.
The roadway is blocked by debris and trees. Residents in the affected areas are being asked to stay home if they can so City and Hydro Quebec workers can do their jobs.
Mother Nature was not kind in the Outaouais while the storm caused the death of a woman in Gatineau.
Impressive pictures were also taken in Fassett, when the bell tower of the Saint-Fidèle church was literally blown away by the winds.
The Lanaudière region, also affected by an impressive number of breakdowns, was the scene of a surprising scene when the roof of a school blew in the wind.
The roof of the Sainte-Bernadette school in Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes was partially torn off by the winds. The damage is greatest at the gymnasium level, but rubble and insulating wool were also observed in the schoolyard.
Even if there were fewer failures in this sector, the Capitale-Nationale region was not spared from the bad weather.
Altogether, the authorities of the City of Québec counted 35 interventions involving hazardous structures and 77 interventions of the electrical hazard type. Downed utility poles and uprooted trees accounted for most of the damage.
A building in Limoilou was particularly affected. Around 7:15 p.m., several residents of neighbors called 911 when the roof of the building was ripped off.
The building with 72 condominiums had to be evacuated. Some of the residents of the first four floors were able to return to their apartments. However, residents on the top three floors are unable to return to their homes as water has entered the apartments.
Witnesses to the scene admit to having moments of fear as they saw the storm approaching and fled to the basement.
Another woman interviewed believes the warning she received before the storm hit likely saved her life because it gave her time to take shelter and avoid the worst.
The fire department reported no injuries.