IN PHOTOS: Damage in Barrhaven After Powerful Storm
4 min read
By Charlie Senack, Barrhaven Independent
Barrhaven is busy cleaning up after a powerful storm tore through the community, leaving a path of destruction. Hundreds of trees across the community are down, tens of thousands were left without power.
It was about 4:20 pm on Saturday, May 21, when a severe thunderstorm warning was sent out to peoples phones. About 20 minute later the wind and rain started, causing extensive damage.
Half of Barrhaven was left in the dark Saturday evening, with residents waking up to the sounds of chainsaws and generators on Sunday.
Below is a look at some of the damage left behind in Barrhaven and surrounding communities:
Barrhaven
A large chunk of a tree fell on two cars in Old Barrhaven. (Charlie Senack Photo)Thanks to the community, much of the tree was removed only hours later. (Charlie Senack Photo)
Many trees toppled over or were split in two throughout Old Barrhaven. This tree on SandHead Terrace near Knollsbrook and Foxfield was too big to miss the two vehicles parked beside it. The neighbourhood rallied together to chop up a large portion of the fallen tree in order to clear the road for vehicles.
This Cherry blossom tree on Foxfield narrowly missed a car parked just inches away. Neighbours say the tree snapped when wind gusts picked up. (Charlie Senack Photo)
These homeowners at Weybridge and Kennevale are cleaning up after two of their trees topped over during Saturday afternoons storm. The fallen trees also caused damage to the fence, and blocked a portion of the road. (Charlie Senack Photo)
A large tree was completely uprooted from the ground at a home on Fable near John McCrae High School. (Charlie Senack Photo)
The car was still mangled among downed power lines on Sunday. (Charlie Senack Photo)A red Toyota Yaris had a hydro pole smashed through the middle of it. (Charlie Senack Photo)
While Merivale Road remained open in both directions for traffic, hydro wires were left lying across the road, and two cars were in the ditch. Part of a hydro pole fell on top of a red Toyota Yaris, which was driving into Barrhaven at the time of the storm.
Woodroffe Avenue remains closed due to fallen hydro lines and poles. Repairs could take days. (Charlie Senack Photo)Hours after the storm wrecked havoc, the sun came out over Barrhaven. Police are seen arriving to close off Woodroofe Avenue to vehicles. (Charlie Senack Photo)Hydro crews begin working on the lines at Greenbank and Fallowfield. (Charlie Senack Photo)A look at some of the fallen hydro lines on Greenbank. (Charlie Senack Photo)
Merivale
Merivale Road received some of the worse damage in the city. About a dozen poles have fallen onto the road near Merivale High School, and St. Monica School is switching to remote learning after receiving extensive damage to the roof. Cleanup crews were there throughout the day to clear debris from the roof and inspect the damage.
Multiple cars were damaged when the hydro polls fell. (Charlie Senack Photo)The poles also took down the street lights. (Charlie Senack Photo)Hydro Ottawa crews work to restore power. (Charlie Senack Photo)Capital Drive near Slack and Merivale is unpassable after the roof of a nearby building completely blew off. Other nearby buildings also received extensive damage with their windows blown in and debris littered everywhere. (Charlie Senack Photo
Crews are hard at work outside of St. Mona school to clear debris from the building. The one-storey school which received extensive damage will be closed Tuesday with learning switching to remote. (Charlie Senack Photo)
