Thirty-two years ago a powerful and deadly series of tornadoes tore through the Barrie area.
The EF-4 tornado that hit Barrie on May 31, 1985 was one of the strongest that day, taking eight lives, including four children.
Six hundred homes and more than 50 businesses were destroyed in the city. During CTV Barrie’s 30th anniversary series, Teresa Croft shared the story of her brother David Vanderburgt, who was killed when the tornado tore through their father’s tire re-trading business.
“My dad was sitting down, so he was blown through the walls and Dave was just holding onto the door knob,” says Croft. “The paramedics and the fire rescue all said if he had let go, he might of been alright, but he went up with the building.”
Extensive damage and deaths were also reported in the Tottenham and Grand Valley areas. Altogether, more than 40 tornadoes touched down that day in Ontario, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York State.
Former Barrie deputy fire chief Jim Lemieux recounted during that same series what it was like to walk outside and see the damage.
"I came out the door, looked down the street and I thought a bomb had dropped. It was just devastation everywhere.”
The tornadoes caused what would now be about $1 billion in damage.
