At first, there was a sense of calm over the skies of Ottawa on Wednesday night. Environment Canada warned of rain coming, but all weather reports said the storm would be non-severe. No weather alerts or warnings went out.
But then came the rain. Lots of it. Then hail, strong winds and a lightning storm that illuminated the sky with the rapid rhythms of a paparazzi photo shoot. The power went out. The view outside the windows became obscured as sheets of rain fell. There was fear and panic — especially for those who were struck by storms just a few weeks ago.
Then it was over. Ten minutes of heavy rain and winds left a path of destruction.
In Nepean, century-old trees that were once part of the Stewart Farm came crashing down. They’ve stood through the great ice storm of 1998, the 2018 tornadoes, and the 2022 derecho, to finally meet their fate on Wednesday.
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