Environment Canada has confirmed that Quebec was beset by four tornadoes on June 21, 2021 – one of which was a severely strong twister that caused the death of one man.
In its weather summary released Friday, the agency identified the four tornadoes. The first was a storm that hit St-Valentin, Quebec with winds at 115 km/h at about 3:35pm. This storm was a zero on the Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF).
Ten minutes after the first one, the second tornado hit Mascouche, Quebec, with maximum winds of 200 km/h. This storm was the strongest of the four, damaging as many as 100 homes and causing the death of Jacques Lefebvre, after the shed he took shelter in was swept up by the wind. This tornado was an EF2.
Another EF0 hit the village of St-Célestin in central Quebec, with winds of 115km/h.
The last tornado was an EF1 that struck St-Narcisse-de-Beaurivage, in Chaudière-Appalaches around 4:50pm. Wind speeds for this tornado were estimated to be around 150 km/h.
EF measures wind damage, rating a storm between zero and five – five being the strongest. The ratings released by Environment Canada were based on damage observed on the ground. CBC News reported that the agency collaborated with the Northern Tornadoes Project at Western University to assess the wind damage.
