Experts want hurricane straps on Ontario homes to prevent destruction in severe weather
Following the EF2 tornado in the south end of Barrie that left a trail of destruction so damaging it could take years to rebuild, experts are now questioning the strength of Ontario's building code.
"When it comes to downward forces like the weight of snow on a roof, for example, our code is very good at addressing those downward forces," said Glenn McGillivray, Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction.
"In a wind storm, particularly a tornado, that roof wants to get sucked up, and the code doesn't really address those upward sucking forces very well, or at all, and we want to see that changed," McGillvray added.
According to Canada's property and casualty insurance industry, wind is the most significant driver of disaster losses after water damage, and it can quickly turn deadly.
"This is how people get injured and killed," said McGillivray. "Not so much by the wind itself, but by flying debris- we're talking about chunks of roofs and other chunks of buildings."
The July 15 tornado in Barrie prompted a renewed push for the province to include hurricane straps, ties or screws into the building code to help protect roofs and reduce damage.
"That would go a long way to both better enforcement and better building practices," said a lead researcher with the Northern Tornados Project, Greg Kopp.
But experts say that's only one piece of the puzzle.
"We want to ensure that no only is the roof properly connected to the walls, we also want to ensure that the upper floor is connected well to the main floor and the main floor is connected properly to the foundation," McGillivray said. "It's called and continuous load path."
In mid-July, wind speeds reached 210 kilometres per hour, as the EF-2 twister damaged upwards of 200 homes and injured 11 people in the Prince William Way area of the city..
Seventy homes still have unsafe orders, and roughly 20 roofs were ripped from houses.
Last year, Ontario led the country with 44 tornados, and since 1985, three major ones have touched down in or near Barrie.
"The area between Windsor and Lake Simcoe, sometimes we refer to it as little tornado alley," said senior climatologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, David Phillips.
As cities grow, Phillips said we could see more destruction in the future.
"Because we see more urban sprawl, larger cities and more Canadians are living in cities, it's more likely tornadoes will find targets to hit," he noted. "So those little guys of the past could be more impactful, more damaging, more destructive, more killers in the future."
Right now, the Canadian Standards Association is in the process of developing a standard for factoring in extreme winds in the construction of new homes across the country.
Experts are calling it a big step in the process of changing Ontario's building code.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
CFIA monitoring for avian flu in Canadian dairy cattle after U.S. discoveries
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is encouraging veterinarians to keep an eye out for signs of avian influenza in dairy cattle following recent discoveries of cases of the disease in U.S. cow herds.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
DEVELOPING G7 warns of new sanctions against Iran as world reacts to apparent Israeli drone attack
Group of Seven foreign ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran on Friday for its drone and missile attack on Israel, and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict.
After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
Vancouver firefighter in rehab at home after losing leg to flesh-eating infection overseas
A family trip took a frightening turn for Christopher Won when he was diagnosed with flesh-eating disease while in Hong Kong and now, after weeks of treatment overseas, the Vancouver firefighter is back home recovering.
WATCH Video shows dramatic police takedown of carjacking suspects chased through parking lot north of Toronto
Police have released video footage of a dramatic takedown of a group of teens wanted in connection with an attempted carjacking in Markham earlier this month.
WHO likely to issue wider alert on contaminated cough syrup
The World Health Organization is likely to issue a wider warning about contaminated Johnson and Johnson-made children's cough syrup found in Nigeria last week, it said in an email.
Advocacy groups speak out against domestic violence comments by Nova Scotia minister
Several Nova Scotia groups that assist women are speaking out against comments on domestic violence by Justice Minister Brad Johns, and at least one is calling for his dismissal.