Canadian historic event
Barrie tornado May 31, 1985
On May 31, 1985, an F4 tornado tore through Barrie, Ontario, killing 12 — part of a cross-border outbreak that devastated Ontario, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York on the same afternoon.
The overview
- Date: May 31, 1985, about 5:00 PM.
- Location: Barrie, Ontario — 90 km north of Toronto.
- Rating: F4.
- Deaths: 8 in Barrie, 12 total in Ontario that day.
- Injuries: 155 in Barrie alone.
- Part of the 1985 United States-Canada tornado outbreak: 43 tornadoes, 88 dead total across both countries.
- The same outbreak produced the Wheatland, PA F5 (18 dead) and Niles, OH F5.
The path of destruction
- The tornado crossed Highway 400 during rush hour, throwing vehicles.
- The Allandale neighbourhood and a racetrack were devastated.
- Factories and homes were flattened in the southern end of the city.
- Over 300 homes destroyed.
- Damage estimated over $100 million (1985 CAD).
The wider outbreak
- 14 tornadoes touched down in Ontario that afternoon.
- Tornadoes also struck Grand Valley, Orangeville, and Tottenham.
- The Grand Valley F3 tracked over 100 km — one of the longest Canadian tornado tracks.
- US portion: 76 dead across OH, PA, NY.
- One of the most violent outbreaks in Great Lakes history.
The aftermath
- Ontario improved its severe weather warning dissemination.
- Building code discussions followed for southern Ontario.
- The event remains the benchmark severe weather day for Ontario.
- Barrie was hit again by an EF2 in 2021 — warnings that time gave residents several minutes.
The meteorology
- A deep low over the Great Lakes with a strong cold front and near-record instability.
- The setup resembled a US Plains outbreak transplanted onto Ontario and the Ohio Valley.
- Long-track supercells maintained intensity crossing the border region.
- The Barrie storm was tornadic for hours before reaching the city.