A confirmed tornado touched down near Rossburn, Manitoba, around 8 p. m.
on Sunday, June 28, 2026, destroying a historic 122-year-old home and prompting severe weather warnings across the province.
The extreme weather system caused extensive property damage in western Manitoba, downing forests and triggering rainfall warnings with projected accumulations up to 150 millimeters in some regions.
Family Loses Home in Seconds
Brian Brown, a Manitoba retiree, spent more than two decades restoring the brick farmhouse with his wife Bernadine.
The tornado blew in the front doors and windows, destroying the roof and the top half of their barn within moments.
"It took us 10 years to renovate it," said Brown. "We've been here for 22 years.
It took 10 seconds to do this."
The couple survived without injury by taking cover immediately before the wind shattered the home's structure.
"I've never seen wind like that," said Brown.
"It blew two big windows in the front and the door all simultaneously — just blew them right in.
And the trees — like, the whole forest fell down."
The family lost most of their personal belongings to the storm and subsequent rainfall overnight.
"It rained last night, and then no roof," said Brown. "So any clothes that you were going to save, what now?"
His wife, Bernadine Brown, noted that her husband's current health status complicates any future rebuilding efforts.
"Brian was a lot younger when we did all the work ourselves," she said. "That wouldn't be possible now because he's also battling cancer."
Neighbors stepped in to shelter the couple and care for their three horses following the destruction.
Mayor Describes 'Warzone'
Rossburn Municipality Mayor Shirley Kalyniuk described the scene on Monday and confirmed that a second unoccupied home was also struck by the twister.
"It is devastating. To me, it's like a warzone," said Kalyniuk.
A separate residence belonging to a young family suffered roof and garage damage but remained standing as repair crews arrived Monday morning.
"I will never say I totally understand how these people feel because I don't … It's a brick house that was built in the early 1900s and they've renovated and made it a beautiful home for them and their family," said Kalyniuk.
The mayor expressed her shock over the unprecedented local weather event.
"I've lived here for 40 plus years, in Rossburn, and I have never experienced anything like this," she said.
The municipal council plans to meet to establish support frameworks for all local families affected by the disaster.
Environment and Climate Change Canada, alongside Western University's Northern Tornado Project, is actively investigating the Rossburn event and assessing an unconfirmed second tornado report in Roblin.
