Tornado that hit Barrie, Ont., caused $75M in insured damages

Barrie, Ont. -

The damage caused by the tornadoes that struck Barrie and several other Ontario communities last month has reached $75 million.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) released a report Wednesday with the insurable damage estimate.

The EF-2 tornado hit a neighbourhood in the Prince William Way area in the afternoon of July 15 with winds of 210km/h. The track of the storm was 12 km in length and 600 m wide.

One hundred and ten homes were damaged, with 71 homes deemed unsafe.

The IBC said 2,200 insurance claims had been made for damage to personal and commercial property.

Vice President, Ontario, IBC Kim Donaldson said we're here to help residents recover and rebuild from this loss, and anyone impacted by the event should call their insurance representative.

Restoration crews continue to work in the area, sifting through damage and conducting repairs.

Displaced residents are still looking for answers on when they can return home and if insurance will cover the cost of the repairs.

Six EF-2 strength tornadoes  hit Ontario on July 15, including Innisfil, Kawartha Lakes, Little Britain, Manilla, Lindsay and Lake of Bays.

Glenn McGillivray, managing director of the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction, estimates the damage from the 2014 tornado in Angus, saw about $35 million dollars in losses.

Residents with no insurance or insufficient insurance coverage have until Nov., 26, 2021 to apply for the provincial government's Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians program.

With files from CTV's Mike Arsalides and Kim Phillips.