Officials confirmed on Sunday night that a tornado tore through Goderich, Ont. claiming one life and heavily damaging the southern Ontario town three hours west of Toronto.

Environment Canada reported that the tornado caused winds of up to 240 kilometres an hour to pass through the town, which is perched on the shores of Lake Huron, on Sunday afternoon.

OPP Sgt. Dave Rektor told The Canadian Press that there is "extensive damage to the downtown core." Power was out for thousands of residents late Sunday, and the town has declared a state of emergency.

Rektor said that police went through buildings, looking for people to make sure everybody was accounted for.

During a news conference late Sunday night, OPP identified Norman Laberge, 61, as the victim who perished in the storm. Police did not reveal how he died. They would only say he was working in the Sifto salt mine when the storm hit Goderich.

Police also said 37 people suffered minor injuries and 150 businesses have sustained damage.

The OPP had blocked a major highway to prevent traffic from entering the town.

Roofs were torn off of businesses, century old buildings and several churches downtown after the powerful storm ripped through Goderich at about 4 p.m. Some buildings even lost upper floors.

Cassandra Phillips-Grande, 16, saw tables and chairs fly by the cafe she was sitting in when the storm hit.

"About two seconds later we heard this really big crash and the roof collapsed in the spot where we had all been," she told The Canadian Press on Sunday. "When we went outside we saw that some apartments had collapsed right in front of the cafe."

Herb Marshall, the owner of the Park House Bar and Restaurant, was on the third floor of his building with his wife when the storm swept through.

"(The storm) came up the hill off the lake, by us to the north and just took everything with it," Marshall said. "I believe I saw a garbage bin up in the air going by."

In a video posted on YouTube of the town after the storm on Sunday, debris and branches ripped from mature trees can be seen scattered across the ground.

In another video, a pickup truck sits leaning slightly to the right after it appears to have been dented on the driver side.

A car alarm can be heard honking in the distance as people walk around to survey the damage.

Residents are already helping each other clean up the streets.

"The town actually comes together and everybody starts helping everybody," Goderich resident Sean Carver said. "There's kids walking down the street with hack saws, teenagers just helping anybody that needs help."

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty tweeted his condolences on Sunday.

"My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Goderich. We will support the recovery and rebuilding of one of Ontario's prettiest towns," the tweet said.

Environment Canada issued a tornado warning for the area just before the storm hit. The agency will be sending out a damage team to investigate on Monday.

Scott Pettigrew from radio station AM920 CKNX told CTV News Channel that the tornado warning came out only minutes before the storm.

"It was perfect conditions, it just picked up speed rapidly and hid Goderich hard and quick," he said.

Several other communities were affected by heavy storms, Environment Canada said. There was flooding in Toronto, large hail reported in Stratford, Ont. and several trees down in Gananoque, Ont.

With files from The Canadian Press