Barrie, Ont., tornado damage estimated to cost more than 2014 Angus twister
The EF-2 tornado that ripped apart dozens of homes in a Barrie, Ont., neighbourhood last week is estimated to have caused more damage than a devastating twister that touched down in Angus seven years ago.
The City of Barrie says there are currently 70 unsafe orders still in place, although 18 families have been allowed to return to their homes.
Still, signs of recovery are starting to appear just eight days after the destructive twister. Contractors and cleaning crews are on-site at many properties, working to rebuild what they can, while volunteers come together to help residents pick up the pieces.
"We have a lot of families that are still reaching out," says Sheri Braun, Clean Up Barrie.
Braun says the generosity is far-reaching. "We've had people come as far away at Hamilton to do drop-offs and donations, so it's been unbelievable."
The Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICRL) pegs the cost of the Barrie tornado higher than the 2014 Angus EF-2 twister, which it says had roughly $50 million in claims.
"We're seeing more roofs lost, which means those homes will have to be knocked down, plus this time around, we seem to have more auto claims than we did in Angus," says McGillivray.
He says the official damage estimate for the Barrie neighbourhood will be tallied in the next couple of weeks.
McGillivray adds the cost to rebuild will also be higher than the 2014 tornado. "One of the things that's going to factor into the cost is the price of lumber right now, which is considerably high."
The city says it's still too early to know how many homes will have to be completely rebuilt. "We're still waiting for another 53 engineering reports," says Scott LaMantia, City of Barrie.
The city is waiving any building permit fees required to do repairs related to the tornado damage.
The public bins will stay at the recovery site until Monday.
EF-2 TORNADO HITS ANGUS ON JUNE 17, 2014
The tornado that touched down in the southern Ontario community on June 17, 2014, damaged over 100 properties with wind speeds of 220 km/h.
Experts with Environment Canada called the power and speed of the EF-2 tornado "remarkable."
The storm left roughly 300 people homeless for months.
The winds knocked down fences and ripped roofs from houses, but no one was seriously injured.
Hundreds of volunteers helped pick up the pieces with the cleanup and rebuild.
The Township of Essa declared a state of emergency to allow extra resources to help deal with the aftermath of the powerful storm.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.