Power still out in parts of Saugeen Shores following massive storm

Wingham, Ont. -

It took several months to get a home on Northport Drive in Port Elgin, Ont. nearly completed, and only seconds for it to be destroyed by a massive storm that tore a path of destruction through parts of Huron, Bruce, and Wellington Counties Tuesday evening.

It was the Lake Huron shoreline stretching from Goderich north to Sauble Beach that may have taken the most direct hit, as trees and power lines remain toppled late Wednesday following a vicious storm that has Norm Lagace working overtime to try and cleanup.

“Every building we’ve got, the house, the shed, the garage, there’s a tree on it,” says the Port Elgin cottage owner.

Dozens of power lines were toppled along a stretch of Bruce County Road 13 between Southampton and Sauble Beach last night. Wednesday, the shoreline roadway remains closed, and hydro remains out for thousands of people in and around Saugeen Shores.

“We’ve had a lot of power restored in the community, not all of it, but a lot of it from last night. That’s going to be an ongoing project for the next 24 to 48 hours at least. And then, there’s all the tree cleanup that needs to be done,” says Saugeen Shores Mayor, Luke Charbonneau.

Damage was also extensive and extreme along the shoreline, near the community of Kingsbridge. Trees were flattened, as was a large barn. Its pieces tossed around like confetti.

“It started raining, and then all of a sudden, it got really, really windy, and then it was like the world closed for awhile. Then, we woke up this morning to find the damage you see,” says Rick, whose car is now covered by a tree on his property near Southampton.

It’s the worst damage, anyone along the shoreline, outside of Goderich from a decade ago, says they’ve ever encountered.

“Absolutely, it’s what everyone is saying, and they’ve been here longer than me. They say they’ve never seen it like this before. It’s just crazy,” says Lagace.

Power remains out for thousands of people Wednesday night. Restoration times vary from 7-8 p.m. to early Thursday morning.