Advertisement

Surviving the most powerful tornado in Canadian history

Click to play video: 'Survivors remember the most powerful tornado in Canada’s history'
Survivors remember the most powerful tornado in Canada’s history
WATCH: Eleven years later, survivors of the F5 tornado that tore through Elie, Man. remember the event like it was yesterday. Global's Timm Bruch reports – Jun 22, 2018

Tornadoes can range in size from small, rope-like funnels to massive wedges, several kilometers in diameter. Most of them break tree branches and leave minor damage: although a few monstrous twisters can wipe out entire neighbourhoods.

That kind of destruction took place during the evening of June 22, 2007, when the most powerful tornado in Canadian history slammed into the town of Elie, Manitoba, 30 kilometers west of Winnipeg.

“It’s a memory that keeps haunting you every year,” said Lynn Kauppila, a survivor of the Elie tornado.

She’s been a resident of Elie for three decades with her husband, two daughters and two sons.

After getting home from work on that hot and humid Friday, Kauppila and her husband were having a few drinks on the back deck of their house while their kids were out with friends. She was ready to relax and settle down for the weekend.

Story continues below advertisement

But it wasn’t long before clouds moved in and huge raindrops started falling from the sky.

But unlike most summer storms, Kauppila felt there was something ominous about this one.

“We had a little dog, and he was going crazy. He was panting and going in and out of the house. We couldn’t figure out why he was doing that. All of a sudden, my daughter texted me and said there was a big funnel cloud.”

Kaupilla’s husband went to check it out and spotted, high above his treeline, a tornado just down the road. It was headed right for them.

“We had a couch in the basement [where] I was hiding in the corner. [My husband] grabbed a mattress and pulled it over top of us.”
Story continues below advertisement

Kauppila said the noise of the twister was deafening. “It sounded like a freight train…but 100 times louder.

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.
“Within a few seconds… [my husband] said ‘Honey, I think the house is gone’ and I said ‘Oh BS’. I looked up and oh my God, I could see the sky and debris flying. I could not believe it.”

WATCH: A Hail storm slammed  this rural Manitoba campground

Click to play video: 'Storm slams rural Manitoba campground'
Storm slams rural Manitoba campground

Kaupilla remembered hearing the hissing sound of natural gas and bolting across the basement. She doesn’t know how she got out, since the stairs leading out of the basement had been destroyed.

Story continues below advertisement

“I only had flip flops and I took them off because I thought I could run faster in my bare feet to get away from there. I don’t know where I was running from or who I was running from.”

Kaupilla said her husband yelled at her to put her flip flops back on due to all the glass that was scattered about.

The twister was only on the ground for a half an hour, but caused nearly $40 million in damage.

Although it’s impossible to measure exactly, wind speeds inside the funnel likely surpassed 500 kilometers an hour.

Despite the destruction, no one was killed.

Story continues below advertisement

Though her house had been swept from its foundation, for Lynn, the true impact of the Elie tornado didn’t hit home until months later.

“We were frozen in time, if you want to call it that,” said Kauppila. “I still couldn’t believe it. We had to get a house built and everything replaced and make a list for an insurance company.”

“We didn’t have time to think about anything and we probably weren’t in the right frame of mind to do any of that but it had to be done, so we just kept going.”

Kauppila said it took several months before the situation finally hit home and she emotionally crashed.

“Year after year, summer is not a good time for us,” Kauppila said. “Especially knowing that we have family and grandchildren out camping. I’m petrified for them.”

Sponsored content

AdChoices