Environment and Climate Change Canada has upgraded its rating of the deadly tornado that ripped through a rural area and beach-side campground east of Alonsa, Man. Friday night from an EF-3 to EF-4.

Meteorologist Natalie Hassell said the rating was upgraded based on the type of damage and evidence gathered in the field.

Hassell said projected wind speeds of the EF-4 tornado are believed to have been in the 270 to 280 km/hr range.

77-year-old retired teacher Jack Furrie died and two other people in their 70s were sent to hospital and later released.

Environment and Climate Change Canada Meteorologist Justin Shaer said the last fatality from a tornado in Manitoba was in Gull Lake in 2006.

The last deadly tornado in Canada was in Ontario in 2011, he said.

Shaer said the tornado formed just south of Alonsa and took an east to northeast path, going through the community of Silver Ridge before continuing northeast to Margaret Bruce Beach, moving onto Lake Manitoba where it dissipated before reaching the other side.

Shaer said the tornado, so far determined as an EF-3 twister created a swath of damage 800 meters wide, was on the ground for 45 minutes and could have had wind speeds up to 265 km/hr. A final reading is expected to be released by Wednesday, he said.

Manitoba sees an average of nine tornadoes a year, Shaer said.

He said the odds encountering tornado (not storm chasing), is relatively low compared to other types of weather phenomenon.

“This is a big province, lots of open space. It’s unfortunate it took the path it took,” he said.

“You could live your whole life in Manitoba and never see a tornado."

“Most people will go there life without seeing one.”

STUDYING THE AFTERMATH OF THE TORNADO

Meteorologist Justin Shaer said there are three main components the Environment and Climate Change Canada team studied Saturday in the tornado zone: the human aspect, damage indicators and the degree of damage to structures.

Shaer said the human aspect involved talking to people, did they hear the warning, figuring out the time frame of the tornado.

Shaer said looking at damage indicators involved cataloguing evidence, taking lots of pictures and measurements, looking at how heavy items were moved and examining tree damage.

He said a few trees were found de-barked which indicates higher winds than denuded tree of which were also found.

He said denuded trees are ones that are missing all the leaves, including greenery and look like bare fingers sticking up.

He said trees were also found with a meter circumference that had snapped in half.

The degree of damage to structures is the third step in the studying process. He said the team looked at where walls came home, looking at if and how foundations got removed, looking at concrete, security bolts, and when construction on the building was completed.