Southern Ontario was affected by severe thunderstorms on Thursday, causing widespread damage and killing at least one person.
The string of storms, which included several suspected tornadoes, moved from east to west at a destructive pace causing Environment Canada to advise citizens to take shelter in basements or other secure areas.
One fatality has been reported. An eleven year old boy who was camping with his family at the Durham Conservation Area campground has died due to the storms.
Durham is one of the sites of suspected tornado activity.
Other major damage in Durham includes a printing facility which was destroyed and a fitness center which had its roof torn off. The area is under a state of emergency today.
Vaughan, Ont., located just north of Toronto is also under a state of emergency and at least one tornado is thought to have touched down in the area. Millions of dollars of damage have been reported by Vaughan Mayor Linda Jackson. Estimates are that upwards of 175 houses in the town have sustained serious structural damage.
Environment Canada is deploying crews to several communities in southern Ontario today to assess damage and determine if sightings of funnel clouds were tornadoes.
More than 20,000 Hydro One customers remain without power in the affected areas, which also include Milton, Newmarket and Markdale. Toronto authorities fielded hundreds of call of downed trees and flooded roadways, but the most extensive destruction seems to have occurred to the north of the city.
The intense storm activity was attributed to a deep trough of low pressure west of the Great Lakes combined with a warm, humid air mass over southern Ontario and wind sheer.
Prime Minster Stephen Harper announce that the federal government will assist provincial and municipal authorities in addressing the aftermath of the storms.