The cleanup is underway near the southwestern Quebec town of Quyon after a microburst as strong as a tornado snapped trees and damaged homes.
High winds caused damage along the Ottawa River Tuesday. Environment Canada said the microburst unleashed winds and rain downward at a speed of 175 kilometres per hour, enough to snap hydro and phone poles, and to tear the roof off nearby homes.
"The roof was ripped off, the water was pouring in, the house was shaking, and (my daughter) was running down the road because she thought her house was going to get washed away," said Joanne Ladouceur, whose own home was spared. She only lost a few windows and had minor damage to the roof.
Hydro Quebec workers worked all through the night and into the day repairing the damage.
The microburst made its way along the Ottawa River in Quyon and caught the residents by surprise.
While some may thought a tornado had torn through the area there's no evidence of that, confirmed Environment Canada's Serge Besner.
"It was in one direction. They did not experience multiple-direction winds. It was in one direction and lasted for a very short period of time," he explained.
Sinkhole in Luskville
Meanwhile, the severe weather has caused a giant sinkhole in one of the Pontiac region's main highways.
Highway 148 near Luskville, about 250 kilometres west of Montreal, has been closed in both directions.
It's believed it will take days or weeks to get it repaired.
It is the second sinkhole in the Luskville region in the last three years. Traffic in the area is being detoured.
