Downtown Goderich, from the Square through a number of surrounding commercial and residential blocks is a scene of devastation prompting a state of emergency to be declared.
A tornado confirmed by Environment Canada to be either force two or force three on the Fujita scale — roared in off Lake Huron shortly before 4pm yesterday. The twister struck literally a few minutes after Environment Canada posted a tornado warning.
Acting Detachment Commander Bill Klym of Huron OPP confirmed at a late-night news conference one death is storm-related. A 61 year-old Sifto employee — Norman Laberge of Lucknow — was on the job when the tornado struck.
As of late last night 37 people had been treated at Alexandra Marine and General Hospital for minor injuries directly or indirectly attributed to the storm.
OPP have clamped down on all activity in the core area. A number of buildings are unstable and Klym says public security is the overriding concern of police.
Officers from several other detachments are patrolling the downtown and a wide surrounding area that has been cordoned off with yellow tape.
Klym says OPP are enforcing a restriction zone downtown. He calls the immediate downtown area a “no-go” zone and says OPP have placed it “under lockdown”.
A majority of the businesses in downtown Goderich have sustained damage from severe to relatively minor.
