Lightning peels Winnipeg tree ‘like a banana’

The storm that brought lightning and rain through much of southern Manitoba early Wednesday also stripped a tree of its bark in St. Norbert.

READ: Stormy Wednesday morning in Southern Manitoba

Chris Rutkowski said he heard a loud clap of thunder at the same time as a flash of lightning ripped through the sky, and knew the strike was nearby.

When he went out at 8 a.m. he spotted the tree in his neighbourhood.

Rutkowski said it ‘peeled a tree like a banana’.

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A picture from Rutkowski shows what appears to be a two-metre length of bark stripped from the tree on at least two sides.

VIEW: a closer look at the damage to the tree

City officials say depending on moisture content inside trees and in the ground, lightning strikes can have various effects. They call the damage to this tree unique and irreparable. Crews will begin removing the green ash on Thursday.