Cleanup begins after two tornadoes touch down in Ontario

VAUGHAN, Ont. — The vicious storms that tore through parts of southern Ontario killing a young boy late Thursday and ripping the roofs off houses were in fact, tornadoes, Environment Canada confirmed Friday.

"There is no question that these were tornadoes," said Peter Kimball, an Environment Canada warning preparedness meteorologist.

Investigators have determined that an F2-strength tornado, with minimum wind gusts of 180 kilometres per hour, hit the Vaughan region north of Toronto Thursday afternoon. A second tornado touched down in Newmarket, about 40 kilometres north of Vaughan.

Kimball said investigators in the other areas affected by the severe weather — the Durham and Collingwood areas — have not been able to confirm the storms there were tornadoes.

Strong winds began to swirl at approximately 4 p.m., ET Thursday, toppling trees and power lines and ripping the roofs from homes.

The one confirmed death, that of an 11-year-old boy, happened at a campground in West Grey, Ont., about 180 kilometres northwest of Toronto.

The boy was at day camp, inside a temporary shelter when he was struck by flying debris. Emergency crews attempted to revive him but he was pronounced dead at the scene. His name was not released at the request of his family.

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty cancelled a trip to Cornwall, Ont., Friday morning, to view damaged homes in Woodbridge.

"It's very difficult to comprehend," he told reporters. "Homes on this side of the street are severely damaged, while homes on the other side of the street are intact."

McGuinty said the province would financially assist tornado victims, but was not prepared to reveal any details of the plan.

"There will come a time when we have to sit down and assess and at what the financial aspects of this are," he said.

"I just want to assure folks in this community that they have our goodwill and if we're called upon to provide resources we won't hesitate to do so."

The premier said residents will be able to return to their homes once they are declared safe by building inspectors.

"I think right now, what we want do is ensure that everybody is safe, that we get the power back on, that we get the gas lines running in a safe way, that folks have some place to stay," he said. "We're going to assess the homes, make a determination what can be rebuilt and what needs to be redone entirely."

Officials in Durham and Vaughan have declared states of emergency, with Vaughan Mayor Linda Jackson describing the damage there as "catastrophic."

"We haven't determined costs just yet. The cleanup effort is paramount for us," Jackson said at a news conference Friday, adding she has "never seen devastation like this."

She said late Friday that 44 homes and one school have been deemed unsafe to enter. She also said building inspectors were on scene to assess the damage and answer residents' questions.

In Vaughan, 600 homes had to be evacuated Thursday night.

"Right now, my concern is to get the residents back in their home. I'm not worried where the money is coming from right now . . . My priority is their safety and getting them home."

It's estimated about 2,500 people have been displaced.

In Whitby, a teenager was taken to hospital with second-degree burns to his hands and feet after a fire broke out in his home Friday morning. Investigators believe the boy was using candles during the power outage when the blaze began. Damage was estimated at $400,000.

In Vaughan, a man whose home was destroyed in the storm is in a coma after suffering a heart attack Friday morning.

As the winds struck, emergency crews tended to damaged houses as quickly as possible, said Vaughan fire Chief Greg Senay.

"Within 15 minutes, it was all hands on deck," he said. "It was challenging at best, to say the least. At one point last night, an emergency crew had to stand down and seek cover as a funnel cloud was spotted nearby."

Jackson said the Insurance Bureau of Canada was working with people affected to help them process their claims.

The Salvation Army is on-site to provide assistance and the Ontario SPCA is caring for pets.

Meanwhile, Hydro One reported that some 63,000 homes were without power across the area at one point, leaving crews scrambling to restore power throughout the day Friday.

In Toronto, as many as 25,000 customers were left in the dark Thursday night, according to a spokeswoman Friday morning. By late in the afternoon, between 3,000 and 4,000 customers were still without electricity.

Toronto Hydro spokeswoman Vanessa Nero said throughout the afternoon, new calls came in from customers who previously were unaware their homes or businesses were without power, because they were away from those premises.

"Those customers that have outages that have safety concerns will be the first priority," she said.

Toronto Mayor David Miller offered to help the City of Vaughan.

"I have spoken to Mayor Jackson and have offered Toronto's assistance to Vaughan should it be required," the mayor said in a statement.

What to do if you suffer tornado damage

Insurers say anyone who suffered damage as a result of the tornadoes that touched down Thursday in southern Ontario should check their homeowner's policy and contact their insurance representative as soon as possible.

"Wind and hail damage due to tornadoes is generally covered by home insurance," says Nikki Holland, Ontario government relations manager for the Insurance Bureau of Canada. "Damage from objects that might have fallen onto homes as a result of a tornado is covered as well."

People who have experienced property damage should discuss their coverage and any deductibles with their insurance agent. In addition, they should document all property losses, in order to facilitate claims processing.

"In certain circumstances, homeowners who are unable to return to their homes due to damage that is insurable are entitled to additional living expenses, as well," Holland added.

Policies vary from insurer to insurer, but, in general, damage caused by wind or hail, such as windows broken by falling trees or branches, is covered.

Water entering a home and damaging property as a result of holes caused by wind or hail is also usually covered. Water damage in a basement due to a sewer backup is covered only if coverage has been added to a policy. For drivers who have comprehensive or all-perils coverage on a car, damage from wind, hail or water is usually covered.

Generally, any overland flooding that results in water seeping into basements is not covered.

If consumers have questions, they are encouraged to contact IBC's Ontario Consumer Information Centre at 1-800-387-2880 or 416-362-9528.

Canwest News Service