Barrhaven tornado causes damage to more than 125 homes

By Charlie SenaCk

At least 125 homes in Barrhaven are damaged after a tornado ripped through the community at around 1:00 p.m. July 13.

Residents received tornado warnings on their phones about 10 minutes after the storm hit. Funnel clouds were seen forming over Fallowfield near Greenbank at the same time.

After the funnel clouds made landfall, the warning was upgraded to a watch which meant danger was imminent. Videos posted to social media show the clouds spinning in circles as pieces of roofing and other housing material was thrown through the air.

The damage was widespread with around a dozen homes on Exeter Dr between Wessex Rd and Jockvale Rd being impacted. A carport collapsed, fallen trees blocked sidewalks, and pieces of siding and roofing materials were seen dangling from houses. A car nearby had its front smashed in after debris fell on it.

In Half Moon Bay, houses on Umbra Place near Cambrian had parts of their roofs blown off by the power of the wind. On nearby Waterclours Way, windows were smashed in, a screen door was completely ripped off of its frame, and curtains were seen hanging out of exposed homes.

Michael Lapot, who lives on Bellatrix Walk, said he ignored the first tornado alert when it went off on his phone.

“I was in my office and I started seeing clouds slowly moving in circles,” he said. “Then it picked up, there was styrofoam flying around and that’s when we headed for the basement, but it was over in 20 seconds.”

Lapot returned upstairs to find his backyard fence down and debris on top of his car. His neighbors’ attached home had a gaping hole in its roof. Insurance will cover most of Lapot’s damages, but he will need to pay a $1,000 deductible — $500 each for his home and vehicle.

“My first thought was this can’t be real,” the Half Moon Bay resident said about two hours after the storm passed through. “Everyone is in shock of how much damage happened and how many shingles and nails are everywhere. It’s pretty bad what happened in such a short timeframe.”