Robert Fisher
Staff Reporter
BIRD’S CREEK – A sunny Wednesday morning with a light breeze blowing gave no indication of the damaging storm system that tore through parts of Bird’s Creek and Renfrew County little more than 12 hours earlier.
Around 4:15 to 4:30 Tuesday afternoon, the wind began to kick up and rain started falling. Within in a few minutes, witnesses described “white out” conditions with rain being driven horizontally, branches blowing by windows and trees falling. A matter of minutes later and the episode was over. The damage done in such a short time was vast.
Hydro One crews were out the next morning making repairs to restore power. Stepping out of a vehicle in Bird’s Creek the sounds of chainsaws and generators filled the air and at least half a dozen different tree service trucks were spotted in the area.
Geoff Coulson, meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada could not confirm what type of storm system passed through. He and his colleagues were still gathering information.
“The heaviest storm cells were moving through didn’t last very long. The worst of the activity was already east of the area by about 4:45 or so.
“As to whether it was a downburst of damaging winds or a tornado is pretty much unknown,” said Coulson. “If the damage is more widespread and the trees tend to fall in one direction, then it’s more likely it was a downburst event.
“But if someone does come across a long and narrow track of damage where the damage is more chaotic, that could point towards a possible tornado.” Trees overlaid in a crosshatch or herringbone pattern would more indicate a tornado, explained Coulson.
Photos of damage, which may show how trees came down, and direction could be useful for meteorologists. Drone photos could also be helpful. People can send photos to Environment Canada at onstorm@ec.gc.ca or to the Western University Northern Tornadoes Project at ntp@uwo.ca. People can also report information on X (formerly Twitter) using the #onstorm hashtag.
Killaloe, Hagarty and Richards (KHR) fire chief Bob Gareau said via email his department responded to four calls Tuesday and most were for downed hydro lines. Some caused a fire, others did not. One call was at 15577 Highway 60, the other was on the 1200 block of Wilno North Road, right near the boundary between KHR and Madawaska Valley for power lines brought down by a fallen tree.
If you are already an online subscriber, CLICK HERE to access your subscription and read the full story.
If you wish to subscribe online, CLICK HERE, or you can pick up a copy of the May 7, 2025 Valley Gazette for the complete story.