Linda Davis is spending time with her daughters and their husbands but not in the way she thought she would this Mother’s Day.
They’re helping her clean up after a wall of ice crashed into her Ochre Beach home Friday evening.
“I got the call Friday and came out Saturday…I didn’t think it would be this bad,” said Davis. The ice crashed into her living room, pushing the walls into the rest of the home, completely destroying it.
She’s not alone. 12 cottages or homes were completely destroyed and 15 damaged after the high winds Friday.
The RM is hosting a meeting for property owners at the Ochre River Municipal office Tuesday at 11a.m.
In a matter of minutes Friday, ice from the lake, pushed to shore by strong winds destroyed everything in its path.
“The wind came up and it just came crashing through like a train or whatever it was horrendous,” said Elaine Davis, who lives at Ochre Beach.
The tiny community, about 15 kilometers East of Dauphin was devastated by a massive ice wall that was pushed to shore by 80 kilometer an hour winds off Dauphin Lake Friday night.
Furniture was pushed out the back of one home and another is nearly split in half. Residents watched the ice roll in around six.
“The ice was moving, it was going very fast, it was moving at about walking speed,” said Myles Haverluck, “it just sounds like a big roar coming at you. After it smacked through the windows of the house we got out of here just in case it kept on coming.”
Haverluck and his friend ran for safety but just as fast it came, it stopped.
The ice broke through Haverluck’s windows and went into his kitchen and living room. It had no mercy on his cabin next door, the small building was moved off its foundation and ice was crammed inside.
“We had a cabin beside us that was totally destroyed and it was complete full of ice,” said Haverluck.
Volunteers spent the day shoveling ice off his neighbour Elaine Davis’ roof and out of her home.
“We’re shoveling ice out of the front room, it’s totally destroyed,” said Davis.
No one was hurt but residents are in shock and amazed by mother nature.
“It’s hard to believe even though you’re standing there looking at it,” said a resident who didn’t want to give his name.
The Rural Municipality of Ochre River, declared a state of emergency. Engineers are assessing the damage.
“Everyone’s down there just trying to sort through the rubble,” said Duputy Reeve Clayton Watts, “just lots of confusion more than anything else, people are a little discouraged obviously after being flooded out two years ago.”
Many just finished rebuilding, now they’ll have to start again.
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