Thursday May 21 is the 62nd anniversary of the tornado that devastated downtown Sarnia.
The tornado first touched down near Smiths Creek, Michigan, about ten miles south of Port Huron, then smashed into the south edge of the city with F4 strength winds. Two people were killed, 10 more injured.
It then roared ashore at quarter to six at Ferry Dock Hill and smashed through the downtown area, damaging nearly a hundred commercial businesses.
The saving grace in Sarnia was that before the storm crossed the St. Clair River, the parent thunderstorm pelted the city with heavy rain and golfball sized hail that, combined with the fact that most had left the core area to go home for supper, saved countless lives.
The auditorium of the Imperial Theatre collapsed, and the Vendome Hotel and Taylors Furniture store sustained heavy damage in a half mile wide trail of roofless buildings, uprooted trees and cars tossed around like small toys.
More than 250 buildings were either destroyed or damaged and 38 Sarnians were injured. One person in central Lambton died.