25 years ago today

[ehg]

I was driving down the 115 at that time and looked to my west and witnessed the blackest sky i ever saw.

When i got home the reports started coming in about one of the deadliest storms ever to hit southern ontario.

Though i wasn't affected i will never forget that day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8apXOQQKuPU&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq36XF_5WKc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCoQ0auZfrE&feature=related

Edited May 31, 2010 by ehg

[kickingfrog]

I was at home (in Barrie) with the chicken pox that day. My strongest memory is the green sky before the thunder storm. The tornado itself was on the other side of the city from where we lived, didn't even know about it until the power came back on later that night.

[Spiel]

Oh my good Lord, has it been that long?

 

I remember driving through Barrie days after it happened on my way to Lake Kipawa, I would have been 24.

[jjcanoe]

man I'm old! That happened on the first day of my first trip to Algonquin when I was in High school, we were going to canoe Opeongo but took the water taxi instead because of the high winds. hadn't heard anything about the tornado at all and then we got to Barrie and saw where it cut across the highway into the racetrack, didn't know if it was an explosion of some sort or what happened but there was debris everywhere, stopped at the cookstown service center and asked what had happened.

 

jjcanoe

[fishing n autograph]

Wow...I was five and don't remember it lol

[lew]

It was a terrible day for sure and it's hard to believe it was that long ago. We sent a bit of money up there thru the Red Cross and hopefully someone who lost everything was able to benefit from it.

[danbouck]

I don't remember, but I was 1

[dobee]

i wasent even born yet

[SBCregal]

I remember it happening. My aunt lived right where it went through and I remember my father going up there to help clean up and move stuff for them. Can't believe it was that long ago... i would've been 9 i guess

 

ryan

[irishfield]

Leah and I had just got to Barrie with our then 3 and 1 year olds... when it roared thru up over the hill and off towards Big Bay Point. Leahs' father and I were running around lashing down trailer awnings in their campground (Le-Ho-My) with what ever we could find. Lost a few.. and the two story playhouse was moved about 2000 feet and set back down unscathed!

 

I bet todays weather has had a few, that remember the day vividly, hiding in their basements!

Edited June 1, 2010 by irishfield

[Rob]

I was driving down the 115 at that time and looked to my west and witnessed the blackest sky i ever saw.

When i got home the reports started coming in about one of the deadliest storms ever to hit southern ontario.

Though i wasn't affected i will never forget that day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8apXOQQKuPU&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq36XF_5WKc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCoQ0auZfrE&feature=related

 

 

It sure brings back memories, some of my friends that I went to high school with, are in those videos. My thoughts are with the families that lost love ones in that tornado.

 

Rob C

Edited June 1, 2010 by Rob C

[Terry]

it had to be late afternoon when I happened

I got off work early to go fishing

headed out on a very calm cooks bay

 

I looked towards Holland river and saw a green weird sky

I knew something was very wrong so I turned the boat around and headed back to where I kept the boat

 

just took minutes and the waves were very high I couldn't tie the boat off to the dock it was so bad...

 

but that wasn't a problem one big wave hit and me the boat and a lot of water was sitting on shore

 

I put the rope around a tree and went home , we got high winds but no tornado in Keswick...then the rest of the day we watch it unfold on CKVR..channel 3

[ehg]

My strongest memory is the green sky before the thunder storm.

 

 

 

I looked towards Holland river and saw a green weird sky

I knew something was very wrong so I turned the boat around and headed back to where I kept the boat

 

Very common that people comment on the weird green sky when the storm is overhead. It looked pitch black to me when it was 20 km away to the north. This storm was still producing tornadoes even south of Peterborough. Every weekend i would be reminded when travelling to Pigeon Lake as County Rd. 10 around Cavan lost a bunch of trees and a church we would always see. Some of those trees are still there debarked and limbless.

[Gerritt]

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/storm_watch_stories3&stormfile=blackfriday_may_27_05_2010

 

Great story and vid..

 

G

[jimmer]

Yes I remember it vividly. Heading up to Bobcaygeon for the Cananda/USA walleye tournament to stay at a friends on Little Silver lake. We received a call late that night indicating that my father-in-laws shop had been hit by the tornado (across the 400 from the race track)he was okay, but my brother-in-law was missing. David was found the next day in one of the factories across the street, sadly that tornado took his life and it deeply effected the family for a long time.

We had headed out as soon as we got the call and found it tough to even get into Barrie with all the military, but they were very understanding as soon as we told them about our situation. They let us through with no problems.

I remember the green sky as we travelled along Pigeon Lake heading up to Bobcaygeon and commenting on the wierdness of the sky, then the strangest feeling of loss, when the next day was a bluebird sky, wondering how the weather could change so fast after leaving that path of destruction.

Both my father-in-law and brother-in-law were in the building when it hit. They were only 10 feet apart, yet such a different outcome.

My sister-in-law just started a tribute to David on facebook, so we can remember him every year at this time.

We were all lucky that many more people didn't lose their lives after seeing the destruction first hand. I hope I never see it again.

[Harrison]

Not exactly sure, but I think it was a couple days after the tornado. I was 9 and heading to Victoria Harbour with my family. I can vividly remember the path the tornado took looking from the 400 up over the houses on the hill on the east side. I'll never forget it.

Edited June 1, 2010 by Harrison

[LipDip]

Not exactly sure, but I think it was a couple days after the tornado. I was 9 and heading to Victoria Harbour with my family. I can vividly remember the path the tornado took looking from the 400 up over the houses on the hill on the east side. I'll never forget it.

 

We drove thru it on our way to fish the Bad R from our home in Kleinburg. I was 9.

Today, I live directly on the street that was worst hit, Patterson. Funny how things work out. I remember that green sky, too. I was at University in Ottawa when that ice storm hit in '99. Our condo had power for some reason. Up on the 16th floor looking over a patchwork cityscape of black and lights was pretty eerie. The sky was green a few of those nights, too. Dead of night in January and with no city lights to reflect back up, the skies over the metro area had a chance to show themselves without man-made interference probably for the first time since the turn of the century.

[ehg]

Even as youth, most fishermen are watchers of the sky and wind.

 

 

Yes I remember it vividly. Heading up to Bobcaygeon for the Cananda/USA walleye tournament to stay at a friends on Little Silver lake. We received a call late that night indicating that my father-in-laws shop had been hit by the tornado (across the 400 from the race track)he was okay, but my brother-in-law was missing. David was found the next day in one of the factories across the street, sadly that tornado took his life and it deeply effected the family for a long time.

We had headed out as soon as we got the call and found it tough to even get into Barrie with all the military, but they were very understanding as soon as we told them about our situation. They let us through with no problems.

I remember the green sky as we travelled along Pigeon Lake heading up to Bobcaygeon and commenting on the wierdness of the sky, then the strangest feeling of loss, when the next day was a bluebird sky, wondering how the weather could change so fast after leaving that path of destruction.

Both my father-in-law and brother-in-law were in the building when it hit. They were only 10 feet apart, yet such a different outcome.

My sister-in-law just started a tribute to David on facebook, so we can remember him every year at this time.

We were all lucky that many more people didn't lose their lives after seeing the destruction first hand. I hope I never see it again.

Sorry for your loss, truly one of largest, unexpected tradegies for this area.