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11 · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, August 26, 2009 JON CURRIE / OAKVILLE BEAVER STORM AFTERMATH: Thursday's violent storm blew down trees and a garden shed in the Sabel Street and Salvator Crescent area in Bronte. Storm damaged trees and knocked out power By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF While Oakville may not have received anywhere near the devastation seen in Durham and Vaughan, Thursday's storm still left its mark toppling trees and snapping power lines throughout the town. Oakville Hydro reported that a total of 4,400 customers lost power for about an hour during the heavy evening storm with around 30 customers in the area of Solingate Drive, Seafare Drive, Spencer Road and Searle Court still without power the next day. The power in this area was knocked out when falling trees destroyed several telephone polls. "Some of our equipment received direct lightening strikes and some of the Hydro One stations also got hit by lightening and there was some damage," said Alex Bystrin, president and CEO of Oakville Hydro. "Polls, transformers, automatic switches were hit and so our crews were out all night." Bystrin also noted the storm's heavy winds brought down a number of trees across the town, which in turn fell on power lines shorting them out. Due to the extreme nature of the storm some residents experienced far more than a few hours in the dark. "It was scary," said Lorna Maj of Salmon Road. "When it was over we were left with a tree that's snapped and is laying on our shed at the back, another tree is leaning in our backyard as well, two hydro polls just snapped like toothpicks and brought down the electrical wires." Maj also noted the storm winds threw her gazebo across the yard, smashing it into around 25 pieces while her neighbour's pine tree was snapped by the extreme winds and then driven back into the ground a few feet away. "You have to see that one to believe it," she said. Maj noted the storm arrived at her home at around 6 p.m. turning the sky green and bringing fierce winds and rain with it. "They say there was lightening, but I didn't see it. I heard the thunder," said Maj. "I was staying away from the windows. I was trying to keep myself and two three-yearolds, my grandchildren, calm." The storm, which hit Oakville caused widespread and severe property damage in Vaughan and Durham where it is believed as many as four tornados may have touched down. An 11-year-old boy was killed in Durham when the building he was sheltering in collapsed. Police mark back to school with Safe Start As area children return to school Halton police will be making sure they have safe roads to travel on. Beginning Tuesday, Sept. 8, Halton police will be implementing project `Safe Start' in Oakville and Burlington. The project will see an increased number of police assigned to crack down on driving offences with special attention paid to speeding, those not wearing seatbelts, those who drive dangerously around school buses, stop sign violations and driving violations in school zones. When `Safe Start' ends on Sept. 18, Halton police said a new enforcement project will be brought in to take its place.