A family north of Melville, Sask. is sifting through the remains of their home after one of two tornadoes that touched down on Sunday tore through their property.
According to Environment Canada, the tornado touched down near Fenwood shortly after 4 p.m.
READ MORE: Two tornadoes touch down, one destroys home and barns in Saskatchewan
“It picked up hay bales and moved them, like, half a mile,” – Jamie Simpson
When a tornado warning was issued for her area, Jamie Simpson, her husband and their two children took shelter at Simpson’s parents house, a single-story home that sat metres away from their own front door.
When large trees and a barn door flew past the windows, the family sought shelter in the bathroom.
“We all hid in the bathtub,” Simpson said.
Once it was safe, Simpson emerged to assess the damage on her property. That’s when she made a heartbreaking discovery.
“We came down the driveway towards our house and it was…gone.”
Simpson’s house was blown completely off its foundation, crumbling into a heap of materials that spread across the adjacent field.
Family members and friends spent Sunday sifting through the debris, trying to salvage as much as they could.
“They’ve got blankets that grandmas have made and quilts that great-grandmas have made… you can’t replace that,” Simpson said beside the remnants of her home.
The damage extended beyond Simpson’s home. Structures important to her farm’s daily functions were also destroyed and strewn across the ground.
“All the cattle shelters are gone and corrals are torn up. You can see things that have gone through them,” Simpson said.
“It’s overwhelming at this point. Overwhelming and just kind of surreal.”
Luckily, no one was injured in the storm. Simpson’s two cats also survived — one climbed into the engine of a vehicle and the other was pulled from the rubble of the home unharmed.
A Gofundme page started on Sunday to aid the Simpsons raised over $8,000 in less than 24 hours.
Two tornado weekend, plus flooding
A second tornado touched down near Leech Lake, south of Yorkton, just over an hour after the first.
According to Environment Canada, the second tornado caused building damage in the area, but no injuries.
Meterologist Peter Quinlan said the province is in the latter part of its severe weather season.
“This is the time of year we see particularly strong tornadoes,” Quinlan said.
The same system that produced the tornadoes also dumped Yorkton with close to 60 millimetres of rain — flooding streets and businesses, including the McDonald’s on Broadway St W. That location’s owner and operator said about an inch to an inch and a half of water covered the restaurant’s floors.
“At about 6 p.m. the water started coming in the restaurant,” Raj Bains said.
“There wasn’t much water in there, it went to the basement.”
By Monday most of the water that had flooded Yorkton’s streets had dissipated and local businesses were working to clear their properties of water.
Only weeks ago, Yorkton was hit with a similar flash flood.