Woodstock to Waterford

Presenter Information

NTP Archives

Location

Oxford-Norfolk, Ontario, Canada

Start Date

7-8-1979 6:52 PM

Document Type

Report (PDF/Word)

F-Scale Rating

F4

Classification

Confirmed

Description

The second and most damaging of two violent tornadoes to touch down in Southern Ontario on the evening of August 7^th. As the Stratford to Bright Tornado was lifting off, a new tornado was beginning to form about 6.5km WNW of Woodstock near Golspie. It track ESE through the SW end of Woodstock, causing significant damage to the area. It crossed Highway 401 at the Highway 59 interchange and continued on to Oxford Centre where it levelled most of the hamlet. The tornado continued ESE to New Durham, around where a nearly 2km wide swath of damage was found along with apparent damage from a satellite tornado which probably tracked for a number of kilometres beside the parent vortex. The farming communities of Kelvin and Vanessa also took direct blows from the violent storm and many buildings were left in shambles or destroyed to the ground. Crossing Highway 24, the storm rolled into the town of Waterford and caused serious damage to a number of buildings in the downtown business area. Continuing on a few kilometres past Waterford a number of other rural properties were damaged before the tornado lifted over 50 km from its point of touchdown.