Draft:History of Tornadoes in Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia is a Canadian province usually not associated with tornadoes, however, in Nova Scotia, tornadoes can and do occur. For example, an F1 tornado touched down in 1994, causing moderate damage on White Point Beach. More recently, two tornadoes touched down in 2021, an EF1 in Stewiacke, and an EF0 in Antrim. So regardless of how common they are, they are becoming an increasingly serious hazard in the province. There are also many reports more recently of funnel clouds and waterspouts, as they too are becoming more common.

Bridgetown-Clarence-Paradise
On August 4, 1895, a powerful tornado hit the communities of Bridgetown, Clarence, and Paradise, Nova Scotia. The tornado destroyed several structures including a farm which the destruction of was well documented. The resident described the scene as a tornado ripping through his farm, throwing and twisting mature trees, destroying stables, barns, and their home. This tornado was likely to have been the most powerful to ever hit Nova Scotia. Based on new damage indicators in the Enhanced Fujita Scale, this tornado may have had winds speeds in the EF3 range.

White Point
On January 31, 1954, a tornado touched down on White Point Beach in White Point, Nova Scotia at around 11:40PM AST. The tornado went on to damage cabins, snap many trees, and destroy a barn before becoming a tornadic waterspout for the remaining portion of its path. This tornado was rare given that not only did it touch down in Nova Scotia, but also in the warm sector of a winter storm, and at night. It was classed as a weather freak by meteorologists.

Pugwash
On August 18, 1999, a tornado touched down near Pugwash. It then crossed a body of water into Pugwash, causing no damage. The tornado then ripped the siding off a home, and then intensified and ripped the dining room from a restaurant. The tornado scattered chairs downwind, and knocked over highway signs. Although only rated F0, this tornado was well-known because it directly hit a town rather then occurring in a more rural area.

Stewiacke
On June 30, 2021, at approximately 2:45PM AST, the strongest tornado since the 1900's touched down on a farm in Stewiacke. The tornado traveled for a small distance doing some crop damage before intensifying and hitting a barn. The barn was destroyed, and debris was scattered well downwind as the tornado hit a max. width of 50 meters. The tornado meandered around a while more in the field before hitting a forested area, snapping large tree branches. The tornado dissipated, leaving a path of destruction behind. No one recorded a clear video of the tornado, leaving investigators believing it was a microburst that caused the wreckage. After more surveying they eventually came to the conclusion that an EF1 tornado had touched down on the property, with a max. wind speed of 155km/h(96m/h). This was the strongest tornado since at least 1955, when an F1 tornado wreaked havoc on the Tidnish Area in Cumberland County.