Isabel is a Thunderstorm now!

Article from CBC.ca:

'Thunderstorm' Isabel hits Ontario
Last Updated Fri, 19 Sep 2003 18:30:33
TORONTO - After days of warnings about a potentially devastating storm, people in southern Ontario were let off easy with a weather system packing little more force than a thunderstorm.

Hurricane Isabel hit the eastern coast of the United States on Thursday causing widespread power outages and property damage, but had weakened to storm status by the time its leading edge crossed into Canada Friday morning.


Approaching Ontario

Storm experts at the National Hurricane Centre in Halifax said on Friday that southern Ontario would experience effects similar to what could be expected from a typical thunderstorm.

Environment Canada had issued severe wind and rain warnings for parts of Ontario, and some school boards west of Toronto closed schools.

A small number of flights were cancelled at Toronto's Pearson airport Friday morning because of the weather.

Forecasters had predicted winds of 60 km/h with as much as 50 mm of rain, with the brunt of the storm in the south expected by late morning and into the afternoon.


BACKGROUNDER: Tropical Storms

The path of the storm will take the rain and winds north toward Sudbury and James Bay.

Perhaps recalling the blackout that hit the province a month ago, many Ontarians heeded the call to prepare for the worst, and stocked up on batteries and other emergency supplies.

The province's head of emergency management encouraged people on Thursday to tie down anything that could fly away from the house and garden areas.

As a precaution, homeowners were asked to clear eavestroughs and catch basins and shut off electrical power if they get flooded basements.

In Nova Scotia, moderate surf conditions will persist along the Atlantic coast throughout Friday, said the Canadian Hurricane Centre.


RELATED: Nine deaths blamed on Isabel

Isabel was downgraded to a tropical storm Thursday night, after killing nine people in three states. Earlier, it swept across the eastern American seaboard with hurricane intensity, knocking out power to more than 3.5 million people.

The storm's centre was moving over West Virginia Friday morning with maximum winds of 80 km/h.