Home Damaged by Teviotdale Tornado (Photo by Steve Sabourin)Home Damaged by Teviotdale Tornado (Photo by Steve Sabourin)
Midwestern

Damage Still Being Assessed After Severe Weather in Wellington County

The warden of Wellington County says the cost of the extensive damage from severe weather earlier this month is still being added up.

George Bridge expects the total to be in the millions with homes and barns damaged or destroyed in Minto, Mapleton and Wellington North.

He says one home was demolished near Teviotdale but the Mennonite community has rallied around the vicitms, with the roof already on the rebuilt home. A number of OPP cruisers will have to be replaced or repaired. Trees fell on a second Teviotdale home. The EF-2 tornado moved along a 7 km long, 200 metre wide track, according to Environment Canada.

It was part of a storm system that moved off Lake Huron and across southern Ontario.

"Over in Wellington north there was a few barns damaged, and I did drive by there the other day and it looks like they have cleaned up a lot. I believe Mapleton had a couple of barns go down to," says Bridge. "A lot of that will be in the hands of insurance adjusters. There were two large chicken barns and some other damage so it will be extensive."

He says the radio warning system worked well to help prepare people for possible severe weather.

"There definitely was warnings out there that there could be tornadoes in the area based on weather patterns. That seemed to work well. Our first-responders, our fire department, were there within minutes."

Bridge believes the emergency preparedness system worked, and adds they haven't felt the need to apply for emergency funding.

Debris from downed trees can be dropped off at Wellington County landfill transfer stations free until the end of the month.

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