2007 Elie tornado
 The tornado approaching the town of Elie, Manitoba, around 6:50 p.m. CDT. | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | June 22, 2007, 6:25 p.m. CDT (UTC–05:00) |
| Dissipated | June 22, 2007, 7:00 p.m. CDT (UTC–05:00) |
| Duration | 35 minutes |
| F5 tornado | |
| on the Fujita scale | |
| Highest winds | >261 mph (420 km/h)[1] |
| Overall effects | |
| Casualties | None |
| Damage | $39 million CAD ($57.4 million in 2025[2]) |
| Areas affected | Elie, Manitoba, Canada |
Part of the 2007 Southern Manitoba tornado outbreak and Tornadoes of 2007 | |
The 2007 Elie tornado was a small, but extremely powerful and erratic tornado that occurred in Manitoba, Canada, during the evening hours of Friday, June 22, 2007. The powerful F5 tornado that struck the town of Elie (40 km (25 mi) west of Winnipeg) is known for its unusual path, behaviour, its rope to cone structure (as opposed to a "wedge" structure), and how unique it is compared to other F5/EF5 tornadoes.[1][3] It was part of a small two-day tornado outbreak that occurred in the southern Manitoba region, which featured other significant (F2+) tornadoes. The tornado reached a maximum width of 150 yards (140 m) and had a path length of about 6 km (3.7 mi). It was unusual because it caused extreme damage during its "roping-out" stage at a mere 35 yards (32 m) in width, all while moving extremely slowly and unpredictably. The tornado tracked primarily southeast, as opposed to the usual northeasterly motion of tornadoes, and it made multiple loops and sharp turns.[4][5]
While several houses were leveled, no one was injured or killed by the tornado.[1] A well-built, anchored home in Elie was swept off of its foundation, with the entire house being lofted by the tornado and disintegrated midair, justifying an F5 rating. One of the strongest twisters in the modern era, it is one of only eleven to be rated F5/EF5 since the 1999 Bridge Creek-Moore tornado. Damage costs were estimated at $39 million ($56.1 million in 2024).[citation needed]
As of 2026, this is the most recent tornado to be rated F5 on the Fujita Scale, as the United States had switched to using the Enhanced Fujita Scale earlier that year, followed by Canada in 2013.[6][7][better source needed]
Meteorological synopsis
[edit]
Prior to the event, 1200 UTC 500-mb mesoscale analysis revealed the presence of a building upper ridge over the southern Prairies region of Canada, specifically in the southern Alberta and Saskatchewan regions, with a minor shortwave trough accompanying this ridge over Alberta. A thermal ridge was also noted in the southern Saskatchewan area, preventing storm formation and increasing heating in the upper atmosphere. Winds contained within a jet max at 800 hPa reached 10-15 m s⁻¹ (22-34 mph) as they rounded the western half of a high pressure ridge situated over the High Plains. This intense jet stream continually advected moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, allowing any developing storms to have access to large amounts of inflow. The directional and magnitudinal change of wind with height, known as wind shear, was also observed during this time, further contributing to an environment favorable for storm development.[8]
At the surface, multiple disconnected lows were present, with one surface low over southern Saskatchewan featuring a warm front that extended to the east, into the Interlake region of the province of Manitoba. Due to this low, warm temperatures and high dew point values were advected into the region, increasing instability in the atmosphere. By 1800 UTC, this surface low had moved east and positioned itself directly over Dauphin Lake, with surrounding temperatures reaching 26-28°C (79-82°F), and dew points skyrocketing to 18-20°C (64-68°F). At this time, a significant elevated mixed layer (EML) remained over the area, preventing convection and storm activity but allowing for instability to continue to rise. By 2100 UTC, the area of low pressure had finally migrated to the southern basin of Lake Manitoba, and remained quasi-stationary for hours, with the Elie tornado initiating off of a dry line ahead of a cold front that extended from the low. It is noted that a cold pool and gravity waves may have affected the development of the Elie tornado, as well as other tornadoes in the surrounding area.[8]
Tornado summary
[edit]
The tornado initially touched down north of the Trans-Canada Highway at around 6:25 p.m. CDT (23:25 UTC)[9] and slowly moved southeast, where it picked up and overturned a semi-trailer and a tractor trailer. The tornado gradually turned east, took a sharp turn south, and then took another sharp turn east, all within roughly 1 mile (1.6 km). The tornado made another turn south and made an extremely slow loop over the town's flour mill at F2 intensity, causing over $1 million in damage. Multiple semi trucks were overturned and damaged and building walls buckled inward. At this point, the tornado was producing F1 to F2 level damage and had grown to a width of 50 m (55 yd). From there, it headed south parallel to Janzen Road at F0 intensity. It also continued to grow in width, reaching its peak width of about 140 m (153 yd). After reaching the intersection of Janzen Road and Road 61 North, the tornado turned east directly towards the southwest edge of Elie. It quickly intensified to F4 strength while it made a loop over Elie Street, as it began to severely damage multiple homes along this street. One of these homes, which was described as well-built and bolted to its foundation, was completely removed from its foundation and lofted into the air by the tornado, where it then collapsed into pieces as it was thrown around the tornado's funnel, justifying F5 intensity. The tornado also sheared some sill plates from this home and snapped off the bolts that supported these sill plates.[4] Trees were debarked as well. Two other houses sustained F4 level damage, with both of them being almost completely swept from their foundations. One other house to the west also sustained F2-F3 level damage, with the entire roof torn off and multiple exterior walls collapsed. The tornado also flipped and threw multiple cars, including a car that was tossed over 100 meters, and even tossed one homeowner's Chrysler Fifth Avenue onto a neighbor's roof.[10][11] The tornado lingered over this area of Elie for approximately four minutes before it exited Elie to the southwest and rapidly dissipated.[4]
The tornado traveled about 6 km (3.7 mi) and was 150 yards (140 m) wide at its widest during its 35-minute lifespan. The tornado repeatedly struck the same area of town, destroying most of the structures and vehicles in the area. A video of the tornado shows an entire two-story home being wiped off of its foundation and tossed 75 feet (23 m) in the air, before rotating around the tornado and then being destroyed. Also seen on the video was a three-quarters-of-a-ton (1,500 LB) GM van filled with drywall that was lofted by the tornado and tossed hundreds of feet. At least three houses are seen being destroyed on the video, along with many more structures and vehicles being damaged. In other videos, the flour mill in Elie is also shown being damaged by the tornado, with bins and roofs being destroyed.[12]
Aftermath
[edit]
Since residents in Elie were prepared and took the necessary precautions during the event, there were no injuries or deaths reported. The following day, Environment Canada sent out a storm damage survey team from the Prairie and Arctic Storm Prediction Centre to assess the damage caused by the tornado. On September 18, 2007, the tornado was upgraded to F5 on the Fujita scale from the original F4 rating based on video analysis of the tornado and reassessment of the damage.[3] This was the first tornado in Canada to be officially rated as such, making it the strongest confirmed tornado in Canadian history. It was one of only two F5/EF5 tornadoes that year (the other being a large and destructive EF5 tornado that struck Greensburg, Kansas on May 4), and it is one of only eleven tornadoes to be rated F5/EF5 since the 1999 Bridge Creek-Moore tornado. At the time, Canada had not adopted the Enhanced Fujita scale, which explains why the tornado received an F5 rating despite happening after the release of the Enhanced Fujita scale in the United States.[13] It was mentioned by surveyors, however, that the Elie tornado was an EF5-equivalent tornado and could have received an EF5 rating if the enhanced scale were in use in Canada at the time.[14]
F4 vs F5 rating
[edit]In 2008, at the American Meteorological Society's 24th Conference on Severe Local Storms, Patrick J. McCarthy, along with D. Carlsen and J. Slipec, submitted a paper for and hosted a presentation on the Elie tornado.[15] At the conference, it was discussed that some of the damage did point to an F5 rating. However, the survey team was concerned that the tornado was weaker than F5 strength, and only caused the extreme damage due to moving slowly, where it could have "relentlessly pounded the houses into a higher level of destruction".[15] After further investigation using video evidence captured by those watching the tornado, the surveyors determined that, "The structural failures were quick. The structural assessments indicated that the homes were well-built and generally well-secured." In particular, one of the destroyed homes met all of the requirements for the highest damage rating,"[15] being equipped with 2x6 sill plates, larger-than-usual washers, and J-bolts.[14]
Significance
[edit]The Elie tornado was also significant due to its appearance at F5 intensity, where it was reaching the end of its life span and was in its "roping-out"/decaying stage. Some meteorologists suggest that the extreme intensity of the tornado was a result of the rapid implosion of the tornado's wind field, which caused it to quickly accelerate for a brief period of time.[4] This theory aligns with the physical principle of conservation of angular momentum, where a constricted radius results in acceleration. This is similar to a figure skater pulling in his or her arms to spin more quickly.
Other tornadoes
[edit]In addition to the Elie F5 tornado, various other tornadoes also affected Canada during June 22–23, 2007.
| FU | F0 | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| F# | Location | County / Parish | Province | Start Coord. | Date | Time (UTC) | Path length | Max width | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F3 | Oakville area | Central Plains | MB | 49°48′N 97°56′W / 49.80°N 97.93°W | June 22 | 23:55 | 10 km (6.2 mi) | 200 m (220 yd) | See section on this tornado — While the Elie tornado was still on the ground, a new, destructive tornado developed about 12 miles (19 km) to the southwest. This tornado tracked through rural areas south of Oakville, Manitoba, causing damage to trees, outbuildings, grain storage bins, and farm machinery. Multiple farmsteads and frame houses were destroyed as well, resulting in an F3 rating, with estimated winds between 158–206 mph (254–332 km/h).[16] |
| F1 | ESE of Lampman | Saskatchewan | SK | 49°20′06″N 102°37′00″W / 49.3349°N 102.6166°W | June 23 | 18:04 | 6 km (3.7 mi) | 40 m (44 yd) | This small tornado caused C$100,000 in damage along its path and injured one person.[17] |
| F0 | NE of Carnduff | Saskatchewan | SK | 49°19′06″N 101°40′02″W / 49.3182°N 101.6672°W | June 23 | 18:38 | Unknown | Unknown | Brief tornado with no known damage.[18] |
| F3 | NW of Pipestone | Pipestone | MB | 49°28′48″N 100°49′48″W / 49.480°N 100.830°W | June 24 | 01:15 | 60 km (37 mi) | 1,800 m (2,000 yd) | This large wedge tornado completely destroyed two homes and damaged many trees and several wheat fields. Damage amounted to C$2 million.[19] This tornado was captured on camera, with dramatic footage of the formation, intensification, and even when the tornado displayed multiple vortices, available online.[20] |
| F3 | S of Minto to S of Baldur | Argyle | MB | 49°21′43″N 100°04′05″W / 49.362°N 100.068°W | June 24 | 02:10 | 55 km (34 mi) | 800 m (870 yd) | The storm system responsible for the Pipestone tornado cycled and produced this intense F3 tornado, which impacted areas south of Minto and Baldur in Manitoba. Though no significant property damage was found, extreme treefall damage, as well as damage to vegetation in general, was observed. Lines of trees were sheared and debarked throughout the tornado's 55 km (34 mi) path. Because the supercell that produced the Baldur tornado had become increasingly rainwrapped, no official photos of the tornado's funnel exist.[21] |
Oakville, Manitoba
[edit].jpeg) The Oakville tornado, as it appeared south of Oakville, Manitoba. | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | June 22, 2007, 6:55 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00) |
| Dissipated | Unknown |
| Duration | Unknown |
| F3 tornado | |
| on the Fujita scale | |
| Max width | 200 metres (0.124 mi; 219 yd) |
| Path length | 10.0 km (6.2 mi) |
| Highest winds | 158 to 206 mph (254 to 332 km/h) |
| Overall effects | |
| Casualties | None |
| Areas affected | Oakville, Manitoba and Fannystelle, Manitoba, Canada |
Part of the Tornadoes of 2007 | |
At approximately 6:55 p.m. CDT (23:55 UTC), as the Elie tornado was ongoing, a separate storm system produced this slender but intense tornado around 12 miles (19 km) to the west of Elie, south of the farming community of Oakville, Manitoba. This tornado took a winding path towards the southeast, exhibiting erratic, looping movements — similar to the Elie tornado. Throughout its short path, no injuries or deaths were reported, but the tornado caused sizable damage to vegetation, namely to trees and crops. Severe instances of structural damage were also noted, such as the collapse of a frame home near Oakville, an old farm house being "obliterated to its foundation", the destruction of multiple outbuildings (including a Quonset), and the destruction of grain bins and farm machinery at multiple farm sites.[22]
Because the view to the Elie and Oakville tornadoes was unobstructed, multiple witnesses — specifically those along the Trans-Canada Highway — were able to see both tornadoes on the ground simultaneously, making for a rare event. Many photographs exist that show both the Elie and Oakville tornadoes from the same vantage point.[23]
The Oakville tornado made contact with the ground at 6:55 p.m. CDT (2355 UTC), approximately 15.4 km (9.6 mi) south of the community of Oakville. From then, it proceeded to impact a series of farmsteads in rural areas south of the Trans-Canada Highway, causing considerable damage in the process. Several outbuildings were clipped or otherwise destroyed along the tornado's 10 km (6.2 mi) path, grain storage bins were reportedly crushed and thrown, and multiple farmsteads and frame homes suffered complete collapse. Per the Northern Tornadoes Project (2024), EC-PNR records indicated that the F3 rating of the Oakville tornado was based on the complete destruction and sweeping of an old farmhouse, with shearing and debarking of hardwood trees noted at the site. Sources also indicate that a quonset hut — a very common sight in rural southern Manitoba, mainly used for agricultural purposes — was destroyed, and heavy farm machinery was tossed and damaged. Witness photographs of the damage from the tornado also confirm that multiple wooden power lines were downed, a frame house collapsed in on itself with few interior walls remaining upright, and rows of shelterbelt trees were shredded, debarked, and occasionally sheared to ground level. Aerial imagery from after the tornado also shows the possible disappearance of vegetation around the affected areas.[22]
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It is suspected that the tornado dissipated shortly afterwards, at around 0010 UTC June 23 (7:10 p.m. CDT June 22) per radar imagery, though a specific dissipation time is not available.[8] The tornado reached a maximum documented width of 200 meters (0.12 mi) and carved an erratic, winding path 10 km (6.2 mi) long through areas near Oakville and Fannystelle, Manitoba.[24] The tornado caused no casualties due to its rural impact, but did cause significant structural and contextual damage. Based on the previously mentioned destruction of an old farmhouse, the tornado reached estimated winds up to 158-206 mph (254-332 km/h).[22]
See also
[edit]- 2007 Southern Manitoba tornado outbreak
- Tornadoes of 2007
- List of Canadian tornadoes and tornado outbreaks (since 2001)
- List of F5, EF5, and IF5 tornadoes
- 1997 Jarrell tornado – Another slow-moving, erratic, and extremely intense tornado that impacted the town of Jarrell, Texas in May 1997
- List of notable media in the field of meteorology
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "Canada's Top Ten Weather Stories for 2007". Environment Canada Archived. Environment Canada. 30 December 2009. Archived from the original on 12 March 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
- ↑ 1688 to 1923: Geloso, Vincent, A Price Index for Canada, 1688 to 1850 (December 6, 2016). Afterwards, Canadian inflation numbers based on Statistics Canada tables 18-10-0005-01 (formerly CANSIM 326-0021) "Consumer Price Index, annual average, not seasonally adjusted". Statistics Canada. Retrieved April 17, 2021., table 18-10-0004-13 "Consumer Price Index by product group, monthly, percentage change, not seasonally adjusted, Canada, provinces, Whitehorse, Yellowknife and Iqaluit". Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2024-05-08. and table 18-10-0005-01 "Consumer Price Index, annual average, not seasonally adjusted". Statistics Canada. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
- 1 2 "Elie tornado upgraded to highest level on damage scale - Canada's first official F5 tornado". CNW Archive. Environment Canada. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 "P9.10 Elie, Manitoba, Canada, June 22, 2007: Canada's first F5 tornado (2008 - 24SLS_24sls)". ams.confex.com. Retrieved 2022-03-31.
- ↑ Assessing tornado damage: EF-scale vs. F-scale Archived April 27, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ "Fujita Tornado Damage Scale". www.spc.noaa.gov.
- ↑ "A look back at Canada's largest tornado: A night that changed Elie". PembinaValleyOnline. Retrieved 2025-12-04.
- 1 2 3 Hobson, Justin J. (2011). "Meteorological Analysis of the 22 June 2007 F5 Tornado in Elie, Manitoba". University of Manitoba. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
- ↑ Government of Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada (2009-12-30). "Environment and Climate Change Canada - Weather and Meteorology - Canada's Top Ten Weather Stories for 2007 - Canada's First F5 Tornado". ec.gc.ca. Retrieved 2022-03-28.
- ↑ Reported on page B1 in the Windsor Star, Windsor, Ontario, June 23, 2007
- ↑ "Tornado cleanup begins in southern Manitoba". The Globe and Mail. 23 June 2007. Archived from the original on 2025-01-20. Retrieved 2022-03-31.
- ↑ F5 Tornado in Elie, MB From Different Vantage Point, retrieved 2022-03-31
- ↑ "10 years later, Canada's only F5 tornado remains in a class of its own". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2022-03-31.
- 1 2 Staff of the American Meteorological Society and Environment Canada (29 October 2008). "Elie, Manitoba, Canada, June 22, 2007: Canada's first F5 tornado" (Academic conference). 24th Conference on Severe Local Storms. Savannah, Georgia: American Meteorological Society. Archived from the original on 9 January 2024. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
The preliminary damage assessment pointed to F5 (EF5) damage.
- 1 2 3 McCarthy, Patrick J.; Carlsen, D.; Slipec, J. (29 October 2008). "Elie, Manitoba, Canada, June 22, 2007: Canada's first F5 tornado". The American Meteorological Society's 24th Conference on Severe Local Storms. 24 (P9.10). Prairie and Arctic Storm Prediction Centre (PASPC), Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC), Environment Canada (EC): 1–7.
- ↑ "Oakville, MB F3 Tornado of June 22, 2007". Highways & Hailstones. Retrieved July 18, 2026.
- ↑ "Canada Tornado Database: Tornado F1, Saskatchewan 2007-6-23". Record Meteo. 2013. Archived from the original on 2016-03-07. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
- ↑ "Canada Tornado Database: Tornado F1, Saskatchewan 2007-6-23". Record Meteo. 2013. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
- ↑ "Canada Tornado Database: Tornado F3, Manitoba 2007-6-23". Record Meteo. 2013. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
- ↑ "HIGH DEFINITION HUGE MANITOBA TORNADO! June 23, 2007 -". YouTube.
- ↑ "Canada Tornado Database: Tornado F3, Manitoba 2007-6-22". Record Meteo. 2013. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
- 1 2 3 "ArcGIS Dashboards". Retrieved July 19, 2026.
- ↑ "The Elie and Oakville tornado pictures from June 22, 2007". University of Manitoba. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
- ↑ "Canadian National Tornado Database: Verified Events (1980-2009) - Public GIS EN". Environment and Climate Change Canada. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
External links
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