Severe storms on Thursday afternoon generated a tornado that damaged homes on Mapleview Drive in Barrie.
Not far away, in Innisfil’s Sandycove Acres adult lifestyle community, the same severe weather brought down tree limbs, uprooted trees, damaged shingles and knocked out power.
And some homeowners on Sunset Drive are convinced that a tornado may have also touched down briefly in their neighbourhood.
Trees throughout at least the north half of Sandycove Acres were uprooted or snapped off by the high winds that accompanied torrential rains.
Jan Bowser, at 48 Main Street, was home when a huge limb of her maple tree broke off and fell on the front porch. A mature spruce tree in the backyard also snapped in two.
Bowser wasn’t fazed by the damage. She remembers the tornado of 1985 – “I went through that,” she says. She also experienced a tornado up at her cottage, that drove a tree limb through the windshield.
“We drove home like that,” she says. “I hope this is the last one.”
While her roof was largely intact, it was a different story around the corner on Sunset Drive.
Not only were mature trees broken and uprooted, several seemed to have been twisted, before being snapped off, and the roof of one home was torn off – only to be deposited between two homes on Riverview Circle, over 50 metres away.
The damage largely skipped the Mogan home, located in between – which lost a few shingles, and suffered minor damage to a gazebo, but otherwise escaped.
Sandra Nugent was watching TV when the storm came through, causing a tree to fall onto her house.
"I went into panic mode," she said. "I seen something fly by the window and went oh my god, and then all of a sudden you could see slowly coming over (the house)," she said.
She first ran to her bedroom, but worried and ran to her backyard.
"Because it's a modular home and there's no foundation, there's nowhere to go," she said.
She is thankful that Parkbridge is putting her up for the night and has family to stay with while the damage is fixed.
Police and work crews were on hand, assessing the damage and providing assistance to homeowners, as Sandycovers began the process of cleaning up.
"We are here to support those who have been impacted by this traumatic event, both here in Innisfil and in Barrie," said Chief Andrew Fletcher with South Simcoe Police who was on scene Thursday evening.
"It's so good to see the community come together and help each other out," he said. "People are looking after each other."
South Simcoe Police is currently helping out Barrie Police with the aftermath of the tornado that hit south-end Barrie the hardest.
One officer will remain on scene overnight at Sandycove Acres to patrol the area.
Fletcher commended Parkbridge Management for their efforts in working on the cleanup and keeping residents safe. He also noted how helpful and supportive the neighbours have been to one another.
"Neighbourhoods like this, they look out for each other," he said.
Residents whose homes are inhabitable due to the damage are being put up in hotels or will be staying with family and friends.
Thankfully there were no injuries reported.
-with files from Natasha Philpott
