A severe storm system that roared through southern Manitoba Wednesday evening sparked several reported tornadoes that tossed around vehicles, ripped off roofs, and displaced 50 families from the Long Plain First Nation.

The heaviest damage appears to be in Long Plain. Although there were no reports of injuries, the storms knocked out power and caused extensive damage -- even removing one house from its foundations.

Locals created a makeshift emergency centre to record the names of families who lost their homes. Those people were sent to hotels in nearby Portage La Prairie.

Environment Canada said at one point during the storm, 36 millimetres of rain per hour fell near Long Plain, while the airport in Portage la Prairie recorded wind gusts of 92 kilometres per hour.

Environment Canada confirmed that one tornado briefly touched down in Hartney, Man., about 300 kilometres west of Winnipeg.

Video of the fast-moving "rope" tornado showed two thin clouds cross over each other and spin toward the ground, though Environment Canada said the tornado touched down only briefly.

The agency said it received several other reports of funnel clouds across the southern part of the province, but not all had been confirmed. It said it was sending investigators to the areas to survey the damage and assess the reports.

In Winnipeg, residents reported seeing the sky turn black as storm clouds moved in, then bright yellow, before the city was hit with high winds, heavy rain and intense lightning.

The storm appeared to have ripped off part of the roof of a condominium building in Winnipeg’s north end.

An undamaged view of the same building in Winnipeg can be seen in Google Street View.

Straight line winds caused the bulk of the damage in the city, including several downed trees. Recordings taken at the Winnipeg airport showed the wind gusts reached 98 km/h.

Manitoba Hydro said thousands of customers across the province lost power and that it fielded dozens of calls into the night

Environment Canada said the storms were sparked after high temperatures and extreme humidity produced humidex values above 40 degrees Celsius Wednesday. When a weak cold front swept through the southern part of the province, it triggered the thunderstorms that then led to the reported tornadoes.

The agency says tornadoes are “a dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation” and warned residents to take cover immediately if the threatening weather approaches

“Go indoors to a room on the lowest floor, away from outside walls and windows, such as a basement, bathroom, stairwell or interior closet,” it says.

“Leave mobile homes, vehicles, tents, trailers and other temporary or free-standing shelter, and move to a strong building if you can. As a last resort, lie in a low spot and protect your head from flying debris.”