'Like out of a movie': Tornado touches down in Sechelt, B.C.

It’s not a common occurrence in British Columbia, but researchers have linked intense winds recorded earlier this week on the Sunshine Coast to a weak, late-season tornado.

The Northern Tornadoes Project from Western University reported that evidence shows a low-intensity tornado touched down near Sechelt, B.C., around 10:40 a.m. on Monday, with winds reaching speeds of up to 115 km/h.

The tornado caused trees to fall, some of which landed on power lines and roads. However, there were no reported injuries.

On the five-point Enhanced Fujita Scale, which measures tornado intensity, Monday’s event was rated EF0, the lowest level, indicating light damage.

According to the tornado project’s online dashboard, the most recent previous tornado in B.C. occurred on August 27, when a waterspout was photographed over Mabel Lake. It was also rated EF0, and no damage was reported.

Local resident Lynn Smith of Halfmoon Bay described the scene: "I have never seen the movement of trees and wires like this." She posted a video to social media showing a tree crashing to the ground across the Sunshine Coast Highway. "That's when I knew I needed to turn around and get out of there," she recalled. "I'm thinking this is like out of a movie. In my rearview mirror, I see a second [tree], a third, a fourth—just one after the other. Like dominoes coming up behind me."

Darren Hemstreet, another witness, noted the powerful winds when he and his co-worker stepped out of their truck. "It really came in and just took the tops off the trees at first," he said. "And within a matter of seconds, it literally just grabbed them and threw them all over the houses."

After checking on people inside their homes, Hemstreet found himself stranded as debris blocked his truck. "There was probably a three- or four-block radius where at least 100 trees were blown over," he said, with the trees landing on power lines, houses, and cars. "Yeah, it was pretty, pretty brutal, actually."

This tornado occurred during a larger windstorm that affected much of B.C.'s south and central coasts and parts of the Interior on Monday. Approximately 300,000 B.C. Hydro customers lost power, with some still without electricity on the Sunshine Coast by Wednesday afternoon. B.C. Hydro stated it hoped to have power fully restored by the evening.