Downburst brings down trees in King Township

CTV Barrie: Damaging storm Last night's storm toppled some trees and is believed to have started a house fire. Roger Klein reports.

It was a storm that only lasted a few minutes, but unleashed heavy rain, strong winds and lots of lightning.

Residents in King Township woke up on Monday to find large maple trees snapped and uprooted. Rosanna Sardella says her horse shed went airborne before being smashed.

"I heard a swoosh like a train was being swept away,” she says. “I looked out the window and didn't see anything. Then this morning we woke up to everything; trees all down, everything."

According to Environment Canada, a downburst is likely the cause behind the destruction. Meteorologists say the storm delivered downbursts in St. Thomas; strong winds were also reported in Brantford.

More than 30 millimetres of rain reportedly fell in many places across the region.

“It was lightning flashes everywhere. It was sort of like heat lightning happening at the same time, as well as lightning strikes hitting the ground a lot too,” says Caledon resident Rob Crawford.

Investigators are looking into lightning as the possible cause of a fire in Caledon.

That fire caused $500,000 in damage.