The powerful F5 tornado that struck the town of Elie, in the Canadian province of Manitoba (40 km (25 mi) west of Winnipeg) was known for its unusual path, how it was during its path, its rope to cone structure as opposed to a "wedge" structure, and how it is unique compared to other F5/EF5 tornadoes.

[1][3] It was part of a small two-day tornado outbreak that occurred in the area and reached a maximum width of 150 yards (140 m).

The tornado tracked primarily southeast, as opposed to the usual northeast, and made multiple loops and sharp turns.

These conditions were favorable for supercells, which are thunderstorms with rotating updrafts, and they developed within the warm sector located in the Red River Valley and areas farther west.

[6] The tornado initially touched down north of the Trans-Canada Highway around 6:25 p.m. CDT (23:25 UTC)[7] and slowly moved southeast where it picked up and overturned a semi-trailer and a tractor trailer.

One other house also sustained F2 or F3 level damage, with the entire roof torn off and multiple exterior walls collapsed.

[12] In 2008 at the American Meteorological Society's 24th Conference on Severe Local Storms, Patrick J. McCarthy, along with D. Carlsen and J. Slipec, submitted a paper for and hosted a presentation on the Elie tornado.

[13] After further investigation using video evidence captured by people watching the tornado, the surveyors determined that "the structural failures were quick.

"[13] The team also noted that the damage would have qualified for an EF5 rating on the Enhanced Fujita scale, which was in use in the United States at the time.

That tornado was rated as an F3 with winds of 295 km/h (183 mph) after it destroyed several outbuildings, a couple of grain storage bins, and many trees.

Some meteorologists suggest the intensity was due to the rapid implosion of the tornado's wind field, which caused it to quickly accelerate for a brief period of time.