Deadly tornado tears through Goderich, state of emergency in effect
Posted August 23, 2011 5:46 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
GODERICH, Ont. – Emergency crews continue to sift through the wreckage, after one of the worst tornadoes in Ontario history tore through the small town of Goderich Sunday afternoon, killing one person and leaving dozens more injured.
Environment Canada confirmed it was an F-3 tornado, which packed winds of up to 300 kilometres an hour. The rating makes this the most powerful storm to strike Ontario since 1996.
The agency said it issued the alert at 3:48 p.m. Sunday, a brief 12 minutes before it hit.
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty has pledged $5-million in provincial funding, and town council will meet Tuesday to discuss how to best disperse the provincial funds.
Power and gas has yet to be restored and a few hundred people are still being housed in emergency shelters.
The deadly twister left the town’s landscape devastated, with groups of trees plucked from the ground and strewn across the roads and many buildings either completely destroyed or badly damaged.
Following the disaster Mayor Delbert Shewfelt called a state of emergency in the town, which is located along Lake Huron northwest of Kitchener.
“Emergency service personnel are on the ground and continuing to search buildings in effort to ensure everyone is accounted for,” Shewfelt said. “I want to ensure all citizens your safety and security is our prime concern.”
The one fatality, a 61-year-old man, was confirmed by officials as Norman Laberge of Lucknow, Ont. He had been working at a nearby salt mine when the tornado struck. Reports indicate he was working on a crane that collapsed during the storm.
Goderich’s historic square was hit directly by the storm and left completely ravaged. Several buildings had their roofs ripped off, numerous windows were shattered and a number of cars were tossed around. The downtown area, which has classic historic buildings, has been declared a “no-go” zone because of the severity of the damage.
“To top it off, it was all heritage, and we have literally tear out every building,” said one resident. “We have nothing.”
Other residents told stories of being picked off the ground by strong winds while in their cars, as well as of having trees tear through the side of their homes.
Initial reports indicate around 37 people suffered various minor injuries related to the storm.
Officials plan to continue to work to clear and gauge the damage Tuesday, as the town attempts to come to terms with the storm and its resulting damage.
