Storm downs trees, knocks out power in Mattawa, Ont., area
On Saturday night, Bill Steer was relaxing in his cabin at the Canadian Ecology Centre, near Mattawa, Ont., when he felt something was off. The winds picked up and he started to hear branches falling. He said he grabbed his phone and got down.
"Then a tree came through the roof. There was a bit of a lull, and then it started again," he said.
"Trees were coming smack in the cabin, bouncing off and in 30 seconds it was over."
A major storm hit the area, causing road closures, knocked down trees and hydro outages.
"I think we've all been in storms. I've been in a small hurricane in Florida once and I've been outside all my life," he said. "Not like this. When I opened my eyes, there is total devastation here in the park. It's been flattened. It will never be the same again in my lifetime."
The Canadian Ecology Centre is located within Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park, which had to be evacuated. The nearby Kiosk Campground in Algonquin Provincial Park was also evacuated. OPP said several injuries have been reported, but the extent of them is not known at this time. No fatalities have been reported.
High winds caused many trees to come down near Mattawa Saturday night. (Submitted to the CBC by Bill Steer)
Steer said there were guests staying at the ecology centre.
"We're just in a bit of a lull before we start our busy season," he said.
"Next weekend, there would have been hundreds of more people in the park and the Canadian Ecology Centre."
Highway 17 was closed between Bonfield and Mattawa due to hazardous road conditions but has since reopened. Highway 630 south of Highway 17 remains closed due to flooding.
In the Town of Mattawa, the local arena is open to residents who need a place to stay.
Hydro One is reporting several outages in the area, with restoration times estimated late Monday night.
In a post on social media, Ontario's Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Response Jill Dunlop said the province has sent crews to the area to help.
This article was written for the CBC by Martha Dillman. Tree that came down during storm Saturday night near Mattawa. (Submitted to the CBC by Bill Steer)