Severe Thunderstorms Pound The GTA
Tuesday July 8, 2008
CityNews.ca Staff
It took a while, but the severe thunderstorms that were promised for much of Tuesday did eventually descend on the GTA, causing untold damage and even claiming a life.
Downtown, the rains first started to hit the pavement a little before 8pm, turning into a torrential downpour a short time later.
Hardly limited to the Toronto’s core, though, there were reports of entire streets flooded and buses and cars trapped on those water-logged avenues in and outside the city. Rushing water shut down part of the Don Valley Parkway south of Bloor Street and flooded the intersections of Oakwood and Davenport and Leslie and Eastern.
But the wet stuff was the least of some people’s worries.
A man was reportedly struck by lightning inside Christie Pits at Christie and Bloor, found there without vital signs under a tree that had been pierced around 8pm. He was taken to hospital, but sadly couldn’t be revived.
“I saw lightning hit this tree right in front of my house,” said one stunned witness. “At the base of the tree there was lying a man and I went to see if he was okay … he was a different colour.”
The victim’s identity hasn’t been released and police are investigating to make sure the man’s death is at it appeared to be.
“The assumption is a lightning strike, but because nobody actually saw him struck by lightning we’re searching the area under an abundance of caution,” said Toronto Police Det. Marcel Chiasson.
Cops are also warning drivers to take extra precaution on wet roads, especially when the harsh weather comes as quickly as it did Tuesday night.
The severe weather watch for the GTA had been cancelled by 11pm, though the damage — including countless split trees and flooded basements — will take hours, if not days to remedy.
The good news? Toronto Hydro had no reports of black outs, though several hydro lines were knocked down across the city.
If you see any downed lines call Toronto Hydro at 416-542-8000.
http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_24586.aspx
Man killed by lightning at Christie Pits
Jul 08, 2008 11:12 PM
Dan Robson
Henry Stancu
Staff reporters
A 28-year-old man has died after he was struck by lightning tonight just before 8 p.m.
Witnesses say the man had sought shelter from the pounding storm under a maple tree at Christie Pits, near Christie and Bloor Sts, when he was struck.
Curtis Puncher was sitting on his porch when he saw the lightning flash in the park. After the rain stopped he went to check the tree he thought had been struck, but instead found the man not breathing and without a pulse.
Puncher performed CPR under the guidance of a 9-1-1 dispatcher until paramedics arrived. The man was taken to Toronto Western Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The man was from Toronto, but not from the Christie Pits area. Police say they are attempting to contact his family, who live outside the city.
An autopsy will be held tomorrow.
Environment Canada recorded 430 lightning flashes during the storm that ripped across the GTA tonight, said Arnold Ashton, a severe weather meteorologist. More than 50 millimetres of water fell before a severe thunderstorm warning was lifted around 9 p.m.
http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/456865
Parts of GTA had to deal with powerful thunderstorms, farther north some storms quite severe
Tuesday, July 08, 2008 – 08:35 PM
By: 680News staff
Severe thunderstorms rolled thru parts of the GTA, Tuesday, and farther north the storms were even more powerful, knocking down trees and powers lines.
Nelson Millman with 680News’ sports station The Fan 590, was in Jackson’s Point on Lake Simcoe, when a furious storm knocked over a massive oak tree onto the hood of his Infinity G35.
Millman said when someone knocked on his door and told him his car was under a tree he thought he was the victim of a prank. “[…] You never think it’s going to happen to you – so everybody beware of flying trees. I heard Harold Hosein saying there was some weather coming and sure enough once again 680 weather was correct.”
He said his silver car was crushed and the culprit was about 70 feet in length.
“A number of trees went down on the resort. There was a cottage that was struck by a tree […] The tree came down on the cottage as well,” added Millman.
Luckily nobody was hurt in the storm.
Ahead of the cold front, 680’s meterologist Harold Hosein said we have a few Thunderstorms moving across southern Ontario and affecting parts of the GTA, Tuesday evening. Hosein warns that you should be prepared for heavy downpours, strong gusty winds and maybe even some hail.
公园树下避雨 男子遭雷殛毙
明报/昨天多伦多天气酷热，到了傍晚，天气骤变雷电交加，下滂沱大雨，令到多条马路成为泽国，大树被吹倒，飞机航班延误，甚至有一名市民在公园的树底下避雨时被雷殛毙。
该宗不幸事件发生于昨晚近8时，当时28岁受害人正在多市市中心西区，布鲁亚街夹Christie St.韩国城地区的Christie Pits公园内。据住在公园对面街，目击事发经过的Curtis Puncher说，当时他坐在屋前门廊，见到受害人坐在草地上看书。当大雷雨狂泼下来时，受害人跑到一棵大枫树下避雨，跟□雷电交加，一道闪电击中枫树。
Puncher最初以为只是枫树被劈中，等大雨稍停，他走过去检查枫树被雷电劈中的程度，但是马上发现受害人一动不动的躺在地上，没有呼吸，也没有脉搏。他立即为他做心肺复苏法，直至救护人员赶到，将受害人送往多伦多西区医院急救，但受害人在入院后就宣告不治。
据加拿大环境部的纪录，在昨晚的大雷雨中，大多伦多地区总共出现多达430次闪电，下雨多达5厘米，而严重雷暴警告要到晚上9时才解除。
昨晚的大雷雨令到多市多处地区水浸，大水冲下当河谷大道，令到当河谷大道夹布鲁亚街、Oakwood及Davenport路口、里斯利东街，以及市西湖滨路夹Parkside Dr.路口成为泽国。而皮尔逊国际机场亦受影响，有至少100班航机受到延误或取消。
青年遭雷劈死
星报专讯/周二傍晚，多伦多市雷电交加，基斯提．毕特斯公园(Christie Pits Park)一株大树遭闪电劈中后，一名28岁男子死亡。
是晚刚8时前，一场雷暴横扫多伦多市，一株在公园内东北角，棒球场旁边的巨型枫树遭眩目的闪电击中。
多名目击者表示，一名男子在暴雨下走到树下栖身的同时，大树被闪电击中。警方表示，仍未清楚该名男子是否被闪电击中，抑或是大树被击中后，他触电致死。
庞查(Curtis Puncher)当时坐在公园附近的屋子前廊，目睹公园内有闪电，雨停后，前往查看枫树的情况，却发现一名匍伏树下的男子。他表示，当时看见一名男子在树桩下，身旁有一本书，于是立刻查看他的脉搏，看看他是否仍有呼吸，但看来情况不妙，于是立即致电911，在报案中心调度员的指示下，替该名男子进行心肺复苏法，直至救护员抵达，该名男子送往多伦多西区医院，其后宣告不治。
环境部气象学家艾殊顿(Arnold Ashton)表示，在该场雷暴横扫大多伦多地区期间，共录得430次闪电。多处地方出现暴雨，录得50毫米雨量。
