Two months after a tornado ripped through Angus, damaging more than 100 homes, some people are still not able to return home.

David and Yolanda Miller have only been able to visit their house since it was damaged by the tornado. They have been living in a hotel while waiting for repairs to finish and they are anxious to move back in, the couple is expecting their first child in a few weeks.

“As long as we are in by the time the baby is born, as long as we are in with enough time to get the nursery set up, before the baby is born,” says David Miller.

Their roof and the siding have been fixed but there is still plenty of work to do before they can come home, including plastering, painting and flooring. Even so the Millers are trying to stay optimistic.

“Thankfully in the last three weeks they have done a fair amount of work, we are impressed with the work that has been done in that three week period but prior to that three weeks there was nothing happening,” added Miller.

The township has issued more than 70 building permits for the homes that were damaged by the tornado but progress is still very slow. Many homes are still waiting for simple roofing repairs and some of the tarps that were meant to keep water out of damaged homes have been left blowing in the breeze. 

Allison Compton is one of the few people who live on Stonemount Crescent that has been able to move back home even though several of her windows are still boarded up. She waited three weeks for work to start on her home so her insurance company fired the contractor and hired another.

“Within two or three hours after that experience it was night and day, you could see it happening. The other company was on the ball and you could see it happening before your eyes.”

Compton says there is still work to do but at least she is home, as for the Millers they are counting their blessings and crossing their fingers.

“We are thankful that nobody was injured and as long as we are in before the baby is due, we are begging and pleading with contractors to get us in before the baby is due.”