It was 40 years ago when an F4 tornado touched down in Reeces Corners, with winds topping out at an estimated 400 kilometers per hour.
On Monday May 2, 1983 several tornadoes touched down across Lambton County from Walpole Island to the former Town of Forest, but the hardest hit area was the former Township of Plympton.
Plympton-Wyoming Mayor Gary Atkinson said he was at his parents house on Broadway Street when the storm hit.
Watford Guide Advocate photo of damage from the tornado in Reeces Corners - May 2/83 (Photo courtesy of Lambton County Archives)
"I was actually in the barn doing some work and I do remember everything becoming very quiet," said Atkinson. "I did see a few birds that were flying almost backwards, and I think the most important thing out of the whole day was, although there was devastation and some loss, there were no lives that were lost."
Between 15 to 25 homes and businesses were damaged in the storm, 13 people were injured and 18 families were left temporarily homeless.
"Some friends that were at the Ranch House, which is just down from Reeces Corners, people were hiding under an old wagon that they were using for the salad bar, when they heard the noise or whatever and looked out and saw it," he said.
Atkinson said residents really supported each other when dealing with the aftermath of the storm.
"I think there was a lot of people that took extra time to go and help those people that had been hit by it," he said. "I think there was some fundraising events that went on to help them out as well but I think the most important thing was how the community pulled together to help each other."
The tornado was the worst storm to hit the Lambton County area since the Sarnia tornado in May 1953, which killed five people.
Reeces Corners tornado coverage in the Watford Guide Advocate - May 2/83 (Photo courtesy of Lambton County Archives)