Deadly Niagara wind

The violent wind storm that tore through Southern Ontario Friday has taken the life of a 56-year-old woman in Port Colborne. As Lauran Sabourin reports, the victim was crushed to death by a huge tree that landed on top of her car.
The woman was driving north on Fielden Avenue in Port Colborne about 11:00 Friday morning when a wind gust snapped a huge tree limb that landed across her windshield crushing the driver’s side of the car. The limb also caught some hydro wires and took the pole down with it. The pole also landed on the car. The driver didn’t have a chance, she was killed instantly. Emergency personnel couldn’t get to the woman right away. They had to cut through all the debris first.
Acting Chief Mike Bendia of the Port Colborne Fire Dept.: “It was a very large tree. And a brand new hydro pole. The guys had to cut it up with chain saws to remove all the stuff on top of the car.”

The road was closed for hours while police investigated.

With 90 kilometre an hour wind gusts, there were hollow and rotted out trees down all over the southern end of Niagara. On Point Abino Road in Fort Erie, a tree fell taking down some wires. Just down the street, another branch snapped causing wires to arc.

Ships were tied up all along the Welland Canal. And anchored out in the lakes. It was too windy to go through the locks safely.

There was more minor damage all over the place. Metal flashing ripped off buildings. Canopies left in tatters.

But at least some people were having fun in this wind storm.

Ships have begun moving again through the Welland Canal. The wind were gusting too high earlier in the day. Anything over 64km per hour and the ships can’t raise their bridges over the Welland Canal.