When Lynn Smith set out for a routine trip from her home in Halfmoon Bay to Sechelt on British ColumbiaB次元官网网址檚 Sunshine Coast on Monday, she turned on her camera to send a video to a cousin who lives in the United States.

Smith B次元官网网址渏okingly started recordingB次元官网网址� to show her relative the B次元官网网址渂eautiful dayB次元官网网址� she was having with pouring rain and strong winds, stormy weather that seems normal for where she lives.

B次元官网网址淲e have a generator for that very reason,B次元官网网址� Smith noted.

When she got onto the road though, Smith said trees started coming down B次元官网网址渓ike dominoesB次元官网网址� in the high winds and she knew something wasnB次元官网网址檛 right.

B次元官网网址淭hen IB次元官网网址檓 in a moment, IB次元官网网址檓 thinking this is tornado-like,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淎nd little did I know it was in fact a tornado.B次元官网网址�

Western UniversityB次元官网网址檚 Northern Tornadoes Project, which tracks storm damage events across Canada, confirmed that what Smith captured on video during the windstorms that hit much of the B.C. coast was a tornado, with wind speeds of 115 km/h.

The footage from her car shows winds whipping up forest debris as a tree falls across the road and she gasps in disbelief.

B次元官网网址淢y husband was born and raised on the coast,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 never seen anything like this and weB次元官网网址檝e got neighbours that have been in the Halfmoon Bay area all their lives and they said theyB次元官网网址檝e never seen anything like this.B次元官网网址�

Smith said she was worried someone was injured and called 911 when she turned around, flashing her lights at oncoming traffic to warn them of the downed trees.

Northern Tornadoes Project executive director David Sills said the team is still awaiting satellite imagery data on the tornado event.

Sills said when he first saw the footage of MondayB次元官网网址檚 storm in B.C., he thought it was just showing damage from a large storm.

B次元官网网址淏ut then it was clear that there was rotation associated with the damage that was being caused,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淪o, we looked into it further, we collected some other videos that have been taken and managed to identify a narrow path of damage and so we classified it as a tornado.B次元官网网址�

Sills said it ranked the lowest on the scale measuring tornado strength, but the team will get a more precise reading on size and strength when it gets the satellite information.

The Sechelt tornado is only the second recorded by the project in B.C. this year, after one that occurred over Mabel Lake in the B.C. Interior in August.

B次元官网网址淭his one seemed to be associated with a thunderstorm that came roaring through from the northwest, thatB次元官网网址檚 a bit unusual, especially this time of year,B次元官网网址� he said, referring to the Sunshine Coast twister.

B次元官网网址淭here have been other events in November in that area with tornadoes and even later than this one, so while tornadoes are rare out there, itB次元官网网址檚 not as unheard of as some people might think.B次元官网网址�

Sills said 2022 saw 129 tornadoes in Canada, the most in one year, but that number dropped down to 86 in 2023, B次元官网网址渁 big fire yearB次元官网网址� with lots of smoke that may have had an impact.

He said there have been 109 tornadoes recorded in Canada this year, and the country has seen an average of 101 tornadoes annually since 2017.

BC Hydro spokeswoman Mora Scott said MondayB次元官网网址檚 windstorm was a B次元官网网址渧ery significant event,B次元官网网址� knocking out power to approximately 290,000 customers.

Scott said there were lots of downed trees and debris on roads, especially on the Sunshine Coast, where crews had to clear debris before tackling the task of restoring power.

She said MondayB次元官网网址檚 storm is the fourth most damaging storm event in the last decade.

After Smith put her camera down, more trees fell B次元官网网址渓ike toothpicksB次元官网网址� as she made her getaway. She said she returned home to no power and her home generator isnB次元官网网址檛 hooked up to the garage door.

Smith was in her garage up a 10-foot-ladder dealing with the door and fell, injuring her foot. An ambulance made it to her, but then it couldnB次元官网网址檛 get through to the hospital because of fallen trees.

The storm tried to get her twice, she joked.