Hamilton area rocked by thunderstorm
A brief but fierce thunderstorm toppled trees and power lines in the Hamilton area Saturday afternoon, dropping a giant tree limb on a Dundas home and leaving pockets of the city without power.
Residents reported hail and high winds during the storm, which swept eastward over the region.
Emergency crews responded to power lines on roadways and sidewalks in Dundas, where branches littered the waterlogged streets and one unlucky house on Hillside Street South had a tree fall through the roof.
The storm knocked out power across the region, with Alectra and Hydro One reporting outages in the Hamilton area that affected thousands of customers.
City crews are responding to damage caused by wind in parts of the city today and continue to prioritize their responses based on public safety," said city of Hamilton spokesperson Michelle Shantz in an email to The Spectator late Saturday.
Residents can call 905-546-2489 to report fallen trees and branches on public property or debris in drainage ditches or culverts. To report a power outage or downed power lines, residents are asked to contact their hydro provider."
The Hamilton Fire Department responded to 10 calls for hydro problems" throughout the afternoon, while Hamilton police fielded 31 calls for service within the first half hour of the storm, said Staff Sgt. John Pauls.
With traffic lights knocked offline and power lines down on the roads, officers were busy into Sunday morning setting up roadblocks and directing traffic in areas of Flamborough, Ancaster and Dundas.
It was a full-night effort," Pauls said of the police response to the storm.
GO Transit suspended service into West Harbour station after trees fell on the tracks. Service was expected to be restored in time for the 4:15 p.m. train from Union Station in Toronto.
The storm was responsible for at least one death in the region. OPP Acting Sgt. Ed Sanchuk said one person died and two others were injured after a tree fell on a camping trailer at Pinehurst Lake Conservation Area southeast of Ayr around 12:30 p.m.
The three victims were taken to hospital. Police did not release the name of the deceased as their next of kin had not been told.
Sanchuk said several trees were toppled at another campsite in the conservation area but no one was hurt.
Environment Canada had issued a thunderstorm warning earlier in the day.
With files from Cathie Coward
J.P. Antonacci's reporting on Haldimand and Norfolk is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. jpantonacci@thespec.com