Tornado leaves trail of ‘severe damage’ after hitting southeast Saskatchewan

A powerful tornado struck Oxbow in southeastern Saskatchewan on Tuesday evening, leaving a trail of severe damage in its wake. Environment Canada issued multiple tornado alerts as a potent storm system moved across the province, bringing with it large hail, heavy rain, and damaging winds.

The highest warning level, a red alert signifying "very dangerous and potentially life-threatening situations," was issued around 7 p.m. as the severe thunderstorm was located east of Estevan and moving northeast. Another red-level tornado warning followed around 8 p.m., affecting areas including Storthoaks, Fertile, Alameda, Alida, Redvers, Antler, and Wauchope.

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We knew it was a high-end tornado environment, meaning that the conditions were there for a really powerful tornado if all the ingredients could come together somewhere.

Social media videos appeared to capture a funnel cloud near Oxbow during the storm's passage. The Northern Tornadoes Project, a research initiative based at Western University, confirmed the tornado. David Sills, the organization's executive director, noted that the conditions were ripe for a powerful tornado.

A storm chaser documented extensive damage at a farmstead directly in the tornado's path. "There's vehicles thrown, there's a house that's severely damaged, barns disappeared, grain bins gone," Sills reported. "It's quite a bit of damage. It's the kind of damage that we don't see very often."

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There’s vehicles thrown, there’s a house that’s severely damaged, barns disappeared, grain bins gone. It’s quite a bit of damage. It’s the kind of damage that we don’t see very often.