A town in Durham Region has declared a state of emergency following a deadly storm that lashed southern Ontario with dangerously high winds, rain and hail.
On Saturday, the Town of Uxbridge, about an hour northeast of Toronto, declared a state of emergency as a result of the damage left by storm winds that reached over 130 km/hour in some parts of the province.
“Widespread power outages are occurring,” the statement said. “Many roads are closed throughout the Uxbridge.”
The storm was severe enough for Environment Canada to issue a broadcast-intrusive emergency alert that goes out to television, radio stations and mobile phones.
At least five people died in Ontario and Quebec as a result of the storm, with the first fatality reported in Brampton, Ont., where a woman in her 70s died after being struck by parts of a large tree.
In Uxbridge, the town banned outdoor fires to minimize potential distractions for its stretched emergency crews.
“Township Emergency responders are deployed to assist with storm damage,” a tweet read. “A fire ban assists emergency response by reducing the need to respond to recreational fire-related incidents.”
The advanced polling station in the town for Ontario’s upcoming provincial election was also closed “until further notice” on Sunday morning due to power outages.
— With files from The Canadian Press