Tornado destroys homes, hydro poles in Hunt Club and Greenbank area
Craig Henry one of the neighbourhoods hit hardest, Ottawa mayor says
Craig Henry in Ottawa's west end is one of a handful of neighbourhoods hit the hardest by a pair of tornadoes that ripped through the city Friday.
Dozens of homes and hydro poles were destroyed or torn down and one person was injured near Hunt Club and Greenbank roads after an EF-2 tornado with wind speeds of up to 220 km/h touched down in Nepean.
A second EF-3 tornado, with wind speeds of up to 265 km/h, tracked from the Dunrobin area in the city's rural west end across the Ottawa River into Gatineau.
Mayor Jim Watson said the areas severely hit in Ottawa include Dunrobin, Craig Henry and Arlington Woods, the Hunt Club-Riverside area and the Paul Anka-McCarthy area.
If you live in Nepean- Barrhaven, Bells Corners, Craig Henry, Trend Arlington, Tanglewood, Amberwood, Hearts Desire, or any other neighbourhood and you are without power come by Larkin House on Larkin Street in Barrhaven for a hot meal any time today.
—@MacLeodLisa"I turned on our street which is usually full of gorgeous huge trees, but it was like a war zone ... I cried when I saw the devastation," said Linda Cruz, whose home was severely damaged after a tree landed on it.
"My husband was at home ... he heard a loud sound ... the ceiling is in and the bathroom is gone."
Cruz and her husband packed their necessities and left their home Friday night after emergency responders told them it was unsafe to stay.
"That was very surreal, walking out with the animals and the suitcase and climbing over trees."
Dave Bourgeau, another resident in Craig Henry, said he was home with his wife when the tornado hit.
"Last night ... we went to the family room and all of the windows blew out," Bourgeau said.
"We [then] ran for the basement, and as we run for the basement you look outside and picture 25 massive pine trees just all flying through the air and hitting things."
