A tornado hit a Tesla Model X, and the car's Sentry Mode captured the moment on video
- Five tornadoes struck southern Ontario on Thursday, injuring eight people and damaging property.
- One twister was caught on video by the Sentry Mode camera of a Tesla Model X.
- A Reddit user shared the clip of the moment and photos of the exterior damage to the car.
Go ahead and add tornadoes to the list of "suspicious motions" that will trigger Tesla's Sentry Mode.
On Thursday, during a rash of summer storms near the southern Ontario city of Barrie, one twister, which was a 2 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, touched down near the parking lot of some local businesses.
The driver's-side camera of a Tesla Model X captured the moment that the storm tore through the lot, with it scattering debris and dragging cars across the pavement.
"The car took a beating but is still driveable, so we can't complain," u/VanillaGorilla-, who shared the clip on Reddit and said they were the owner, said. The user added their wife had been running errands with the car when the storm hit.
Many commenters on the Reddit thread said the Model X's 5,500-pound curb weight likely helped the car stay firmly in place, while others around it were shoved around by winds that likely exceeded 110 mph.
A day after sharing the video, u/VanillaGorilla- posted a gallery of photos showing the exterior damage the Tesla sustained from flying debris.
"The paint is pretty scuffed up pretty bad and a few dents, but it survived pretty well compared to other cars in the parking lot," the Reddit user said.
Most of the panels on the car are badly scratched, a few are dented, and one mirror cover is missing, but the condition is much better than one might expect for a car that survived the conditions shown in the video.
"The passenger side repeater captured about half a dozen getting windows smashed or being blown in to the vehicle next to it," u/VanillaGorilla- said.
The tornado was one of five that hit the area that afternoon, according to local media, which reported that eight people went to the hospital and 25 buildings were significantly damaged.
"Seeing the photos of what it did to to homes in the area, I'd rather be in the Tesla than a house," u/VanillaGorilla- said.