Where were you on May 31, 1985 during the Barrie tornado? Winnipeg Free Press Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada June 2, 1985 Visit Barrie, Ontario, Canada Discover the people who lived there, the places they visited and the stories they shared. And at 4:15, a powerful F4 tornado — with a path that stretched for 115 km — formed in Grand Valley. Tune into The Weather Files, a New Cottage Life Original. The Tornado … The tornado "seemed to just pick and choose what it would hit," he said. The 1792 Tornado of Hurricane Road. 1985. When? “I still remember, there was a house about six houses down from us, that the wind had picked up a car and meticulously placed it up on top of the treetops across the road, it was just crazy,” she said. Whole factories had been taken out. She had been working at a restaurant in Holly, and says the hydro had gone out, forcing her and a co-worker to close early. Leaving the mess on and alongside the highway, the Barrie Examiner team then worked their way up Fairview Road into the Allandale residential area where the tornado had picked its way through, destroying some homes and leaving others intact. On May 31, 1985, a massive tornado ripped through the city of Barrie. The town of Grand Valley was hit by a deadly tornado on May 31, 1985 -- the same day another deadly tornado hit Barrie, Ont. Season Premiere, Monday, August 13, 9et/pt. Twelve months after the day of disaster, the survivors in these communities were still trying to rebuild their lives. The Tornado destroyed countless homes, left eight people in Barrie dead and injured hundreds of others. CKVR journalist Michelle Rao spoke to the CBC's Barbara Frum just hour after a tornado struck Barrie, Ont., on May 31, 1985. the same tornado that had also struck Grand Valley. Please read our Commenting Policy first. TODD WILSON, age 9. This is an assignment for a class at York University. “As we drove through Allandale, trying to find a path out, everyone was just wandering around lost.”, “I will never forget the sounds of all the sirens,” she said, “I still to this day panic in storms.”. The tornado ripped through homes near Patterson Road and Crawford Street, causing mass devastation. Buildings had been levelled and debris had been strewn along the tornado's path. A deadly tornado hit the city of Barrie, Ont., on May 31, 1985. The traffic was moving slowly because the lights were out and it was a four-way stop. She still remembers the “total chaos,” of that day, 33 years ago. From CBC: The frantic activity that follows the May 31, 1985, Barrie tornado is a whirlwind of its own. Partial List of Fatalities. © 2018 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc. Kevin Shaw takes a break amidst the ruins of his home in Barrie, Ont., on June 2, 1985. JOHN OLDFIELD, age 63. "To look at the scene in the southern end of Barrie is really quite devastating," Rao said. Course Code: GEOG3700 The 1985 Barrie Tornado occurred on May 31st, 1985. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. May 31 - an F4 tornado hit Barrie, Ontario, becoming known as the "Barrie" Tornado Outbreak of 1985. Vehicles had been tossed about like small pebbles. Legedza said the City of Barrie was about to put up two plaques to mark what the city had gone through. “You could tell something was wrong because the sky was really dark,” she said. Want to discuss? Tornado Outbreak of May 31, 1985 (The Weather Network, 2019) According to ECCC (2018), the Grand Valley to Tottenham F4 tornado touched down at 4:15 pm local time near Arthur, ON and tracked for 115 km through Grand Valley and Tottenham, moving in a east-northeasterly direction and ending over Mount Albert. Powerful twisters tore through parts of Ontario on May 31, 1985. 1985 killer tornado - Barrie, Ontario Images scanned from "Ontario Tornado, May31 1985" by The Barrie BANNER newspaper. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. We put our heads down and the tornado hit.”. The frantic activity that follows the May 31, 1985, Barrie tornado is a whirlwind of its own. There were 14 confirmed tornado touchdowns in … "One in memory of those who died in the storm, another in thanks to those who helped pick up the pieces," Legedza said. “It took us a long time to get back there because of the devastation in the area.”. Find breaking Barrie & COVID-19 news, live coverage, weather, traffic, in-depth reporting, sports, local events and video. The next day, Kelly and her family received news that her younger sister’s classmate had passed away as a result of the tornado. What if you don’t make it? The tornado "seemed to just pick and choose what it would hit," he said. two F4 tornadoes, one starting in Grand Valley at 4:15 p.m., and tracking over 115 km to Tottenham (the longest tornado track in Canadian weather history), and one that touched down in Barrie at 5 p.m., cutting a swath through the city that damaged or destroyed up to 300 homes, and resulted in 155 injuries and 8 dead. At that point, a tally of the estimated financial damages gave a glimpse of what those survivors were up against as they tried to move on. Anderson says the four side windows of their car were destroyed, and the vehicle was lifted and turned around. Remembering the deadly Barrie tornado 30 years later. It’s been over 30 years since a powerful tornado ripped through the Barrie area, leaving a wide path of destruction, but the memories of the natural disaster are still fresh in the minds of many residents. This past week marked the passing of 27 years since the May 31st day in 1985 when Barrie residents learned first hand what being in the path of a tornado is all about. Here's how it was found. When she arrived home, she found her stepmom and sister standing outside of the house. That hot and humid Friday afternoon my long time friend Stan and myself jumped on our bikes and left Toronto heading north up the 400 hwy for a weekend in cottage country. Damage photos from: Barrie, Grand Valley, Orangeville, Shelburne, Tottenham. “Hydro poles, debris, roofs on houses gone, it was complete devastation.”. Collectively, the twisters also left trees uprooted, buildings destroyed and hundreds of people homeless. Sandy Kelly was 18 at the time, and lived on Patterson Road in the Ardagh area with her father, stepmom and sister. These tornadoes formed around the Highway 7 corridor between Lindsay to Madoc (Joe and Leduc, 1993) near the towns of Wagner Lake (F1 at 5:40pm), Reaboro (F1 at 6:05pm), Ida (F2 at 6:20pm), Rice Lake (F3 at 6:25pm), and Minto(F1 at 6:35pm). It was part of the bigger 1985 United States–Canada tornado outbreak. (9 photos) 'What’s remarkable is only eight people were killed. Audience Relations, CBC P.O. Barrie Tornado: 30 years later. Get a roundup of the most important and intriguing national stories delivered to your inbox every weekday. CBC News coverage of the F4 Tornado that ripped up the South end of my hometown, Barrie, Ontario on May 31, 1985. One survivor likened the destruction to a scene from war-torn Beirut. An unseasonably deep low pressure system at 984mb crossed out of the Midwestern U.S. through … Barrie residents recount devastating 1985 tornado which left 8 dead. Food site Epicurious will no longer post beef recipes, citing environmental harm, Tories prepare push for Telford testimony on 2018 Vance allegation, India’s deadly COVID-19 surge rooted in crowded super-spreader events, COVID-19 vaccine certificates ‘to be expected’ as part of pandemic, Trudeau says, Quebec reports almost 1,100 new COVID-19 cases, 12 more deaths. "The tornado hit so hard that in some places, there was simply nothing left," the CBC's Vicki Russell reported on The National that night, as viewers saw aerial footage of what the tornado had done to everything in its path. Ontario reports 3,480 new COVID-19 cases, 24 deaths, Health Canada stands behind AstraZeneca COVID-19 shot after 1st blood clot death reported. The 500mb pattern was conducive for a major severe weather event in the Great Lakes that Friday, May 31st. "Houses just a pile of rubble, hardly anything left standing," the CBC's Knowlton Nash told viewers on The National, describing the damage to the homes that tornado had hammered in that community. Reporter Cathy Legedza recaps a day of disaster in Barrie, Ont., a year after a tornado hit the Ontario city. On May 31, 1985, 14 tornadoes ripped through central Ontario, killing 12 people - eight in Barrie alone. It had resulted from a series of tornadoes that ripped across parts of central and southern Ontario on May 31, 1985, leaving at least a dozen people dead across several communities. Barrie, Ont., suffered the biggest loss from the event, as the strongest twister, F4-rated, swept through the city and killed eight people. On May 31, 1985, the unthinkable happened. CASE STUDY: THE BARRIE TORNADO OF MAY 31, 1985 Barrie and its surrounding areas report, on average, between 2 and 3 tornadoes per year per 10,000 km2. Whether seen at ground level or from the sky up above, the damage was shocking. JONATHON POECHMAN, age 9. According to media reports from 1985, the tornado formed southwest of Highway 400 at around 4:30 p.m. before making its way through the city. Several hours later, with his entire stash of film exhausted, McVeigh worked his way back to the newsroom. Winnipeg Free Press Manitoba 1985-06-02. With the devestating aftermath locals have now Here's how it was found. Surface map on the morning of May 31, 1985. By the evening, Ontarians were still coming to grips with the scale of the tornado-driven disaster that arrived in a flash that afternoon. “We got in the car and sped off,” she said. It’s been 30 years since one of the most devastating acts of nature swept through Bradford West Gwillimbury and surrounding areas. “They weren’t allowed to go back in because Consumer’s Gas was worried that there might be explosions because of the damage,” she said. It should have been far worse'. The most severe historical event was rated an F4 and occurred on May 31, 1985. The event devastated the city and is burned into the memories of survivors. I looked over to the left and you could see the debris flying in the air as the tornado approached. In the deadly swarm of tornadoes that swept through Ontario 35 years ago, one was lost. On May 31, 1985, a destructive and deadly swarm of tornadoes swept through southern Ontario, however for years, one of these twisters was lost from the public record. “We were driving down Fairview Road, just by the raceway. On the evening of May 31st, 1985, a devastating and deadly tornado outbreak struck the Northeastern United States and Canada. Tornadoes are rated (Table 1) by an intensity scale, ranging from F0 (weakest) to F5 (strongest). Tornado—Barrie, Ontario (1985) They called May 31, 1985, “Black Friday.” Across Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and southern Ontario, dozens of tornadoes, many of ... limits of Barrie at about 4:30 p.m. Its path was as much as 600 metres wide and it sped through Barrie for five kilometres, finally Barrie Tornado Path A devastating tornado struck the Painswick and Allandale areas of Barrie on 31 May, 1985 resulting in 8 deaths, 155 injuries, and 300 destroyed homes and businesses. She says their car was filled with mud and debris, “It lasted a short period but the destruction was unbelievable.”, Anderson says the houses on Debra Court had all been destroyed. At that point, Legedza said Canadians had donated nearly $10 million to help those who did not have insurance to cover what had been lost. He was trying to retrieve his bike from outside when the extreme winds swept him away. A deadly tornado hit the city of Barrie, Ont., on May 31, 1985. "It only took a few minutes before it was all finished," said Michelle Rao, when speaking to The Journal that evening. Canada’s 2021 tax deadline is still April 30. This natural disaster occurred on Friday May 31 1985. According to media reports from 1985, the tornado formed southwest of Highway 400 at around 4:30 p.m. before making its way through the city. Russell said "it seemed whatever the storm touched," chaos was the result. Fifty kilometres to the east in Tottenham, Ont., another two people died as a result of the same tornado that had also struck Grand Valley. Most of these tornadoes had conversely shorter paths than the earlier tornadoes, likely as a result of the parent thunderstorms begin… The winds in Barrie registered F4 on the tornado scale (F5 is the worst), with winds hitting 331 to 417 km/h, and mowing a path of utter waste some 600 metres wide. She said the aftermath looked like something from an ongoing conflict in another part of the world. Long-time Barrie resident, Lori Anderson, says she, too, will never forget that day. June 10 1985 Ross Laver. May 20 - an F0 tornado touched down near St Raphael de Bellechasse, Quebec. Home » Barrie, ON Tornado Destruction, May 1985. Tornado Outbreak of May 31, 1985 (The Weather Network, 2019) According to Etkin (2002), an F4 tornado touched down near the town of Hopeville. The tornado measured as an F4 on the Fujita scale, generating winds exceeding 330 km/h. With torn houses all around them, neighbours, volunteers and friends take time out for lunch on June 2, 1985. It was a coworker who told her a tornado had caused damage near her neighbourhood. READ MORE: Most of the tornadic activity at this point moved into southeastern Ontario producing more tornadoes (some of which were significant). Before it struck Barrie, the funnel moved along the countryside lifting twice and coming back down before striking southwest of Barrie between 4:15 pm and 5:00 pm local time. Warning Preparedness Meteorologist, Geoff Coulson recounts the story of one of the biggest and most devastating Tornado outbreaks in Canadian History. That same afternoon, a separate tornado hit the town of Grand Valley, Ont., about 100 kilometres to the west and north of Toronto. The provincial government had also provided funds to help, as well as money to help with emergency clean-up costs. "We see the pictures from Lebanon and we think that's awful. PAULA BODENHAM, age 9. A killer tornado’s savage swath. Submitted by Stu Beitler ... said 154 people were treated there for injuries suffered during the tornado's three-minute onslaught. Well, you can almost compare it to that.". She says houses all around theirs were damaged. 43 tornadoes and numerous damaging thunderstorms tore across Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Ontario. Barrie, ON Tornado Destruction, May 1985. How the pandemic is impacting filing your taxes, QC woman dies of blood clot after receiving AstraZeneca vaccine, Saskatoon mom warns families about irreversible parental leave error, India’s doctors beg for oxygen supplies as COVID-19 crisis worsens, Pride flag won’t fly at Halton Catholic schools, Remembering the deadly Barrie tornado 30 years later. Records show the 1985 Barrie tornado is still considered the strongest one to ever touch down in Ontario. It is a priority for CBC to create a website that is accessible to all Canadians including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. Unseen footage of 1985 tornado hits big screen Wednesday. Two people in Grand Valley were killed — one a local resident and another a visitor from Scotland, according to a next-day newspaper report in the Toronto Star. At about 4:15 to 5:00 the tornado hit just outside of Barrie and quickly moved in to Barrie destroying everything in its path. 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