WATCH: The state of emergency that has been in place in Angus since a tornado struck last week was lifted Monday afternoon. Mark Carcasole has the story.
TORONTO – The state of emergency that has been in place in Angus since a tornado struck last week was lifted Monday afternoon.
But between 10 and 20 homes damaged by last week’s tornado in Angus will have to be demolished after they suffered irreparable damage.
Mayor Terry Dowdall thanked a group of volunteers, including 119 firefighters from surrounding townships, who spent the weekend cleaning up the town.
READ MORE: Dramatic videos of the severe weather that hit parts of Ontario
“The residents have been amazing through all this. You can imagine what it’s like to lose your house and just be in limbo,” Dowdall said.
“The message was, it’s a miracle, they’re all healthy. The message was they want to get back and rebuild.”
Dowdall said the city is still tabulating the cost of the cleanup and has not yet applied for provincial disaster relief funding.
Dowdall added there were a few homeowners who didn’t have insurance. He’s not sure whether the provincial disaster relief funding will cover the costs of uninsured homeowners but said the town officials are investigating.
Read More: Photos of the devastation in Angus
Ann-Marie McKay owns one of the homes that will likely have to be torn down. Her home was hit by the tornado last Tuesday and much of the top floor destroyed.
She feels “lucky” to have found a rental property on the same street as her lost home.
The town has set up a private relief fund that will be directed by officials from two participating banks. For more information, visit the Essa Township website.
– With files from Mark Carcasole
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