Tornado surveyors search for damage following first confirmed twister of 2023 in Sask.

Contrary to popular belief, a tornado can’t be rated by the way it looks, rather by the destruction it leaves behind.

Contrary to popular belief, a tornado can’t be rated by the way it looks, rather by the destruction it leaves behind.

Aaron Jaffe, an engineering researcher with the Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP) has worked in the role since 2018.

He was among the researchers who came to Regina following the report of a tornado south of the city.

“The Northern Tornado Project in one sentence is to capture every tornado in Canada. So whenever a potential tornado or severe wind event hits, if we're able, we go out and we survey the damage on the ground.”

The project also uses satellite, aerial scans and drones for its surveys of the aftermath left behind by nature’s fury.

“We're trying to figure out, what was the intensity of the tornado? What kind of path, length and width did it have? And also was there more than one tornado? Was there straight line winds such as downburst and microburst? Which are terms for other kinds of severe wind events that happen as well,” Jaffe said.

“So we figure all this out by combing through all of the data in the field with photos and taking notes and flying drones.”