(Photo: Moises Canales/CKRM)
Reginans may have caught some of the thunderstorm that passed over the city last night. But one neighbourhood in the south end of the city woke up to damages caused by the storm.
Residents of Rogers Place, a cul-de-sac nestled just off of Lincoln Drive and near Dr. A.E. Perry School, were shocked to find debris scattered all over the road, yards and nearby houses. The tree, which stands on the front lawn of homeowners Don and Loranne Young, is now resting against their home following the storm.
When talking about last night’s thunderstorm, Loranne said she woke up at around 3:15 a..m from loud noises outside and their house lighting up “like it was daytime”.
Her husband went outside to check what had happened after noticing scraps on their lawn from the window, and that’s when they realized the extent of the damages.
“Literally the tree had splintered in all directions and had impaled different spots of our house, particularly around the garage,” said Young. “The bark was removed, so large sections of the trunk flew in different directions.”
TOP: A variety of sizes and lengths from the tree were spotted throughout lawns and driveways such as this pile. BOTTOM: Larger branches had fallen from the tree onto Don and Loranne Young’s driveway following the lightning strike and winds. (Photos: Moises Canales/CKRM)
Chunks from the tree were spotted all over the cul-de-sac with some being four feet in length; smaller portions were found as far as a few houses down on Lincoln Drive. Loranne and her neighbours had removed some of the fragments of the trunk and branches by mid-morning, but the destruction was still apparent.
The Youngs’ not only had their fallen tree up against the house; their lawn was torn up, pieces of wood damaged their garage door shattering the door’s windows, and the electrical in the garage was lost. Thankfully, no fire was started from the accident.
Other homes on the street received damages from the tree. The neighbours across from the Youngs had their vehicle’s driver side window smashed and left passenger door dented; some homes and garages were marked with scratches and indents; and some of the remains from the tree were found on rooftops.
A large portion from the trunk had flown into a car across the street, denting the left back door and smashing the driver side window. (Photo: Moises Canales/CKRM)
Bill Ballentine is one resident who was cleaning up on his roof this morning.
Ballentine, who lives across from the Youngs, was kept awake by the rain and wind from the storm outside, then suddenly he heard what he describes was a “loud bang”.
“I got dressed and came out when my neighbour did, and basically the tree had exploded from the lightning,” said Ballentine. “It was all over the street and houses, and it had spread everywhere.”
It’s an unfortunate situation for some of these homeowners now that there’s more cleaning to do and insurance claims to sort out.
Despite it all, Loranne is feeling positive about the circumstances, adding she’s grateful no one was injured from the accident and everything can either be fixed or replaced.
