Thunderstorms on Sunday night and Monday morning left behind a trail of destruction in Waterloo Region. Rain flooded roads, strong winds knocked down tree branches and a lightning strike even started a house fire on Yellow Birch Drive in Kitchener. The Kitchener Fire Department said no one was hurt but damage to the home was described as significant. The homeowner, who did want to be identified, said he probably would have lost his home had firefighters not acted quickly to put out the flames. Residents on Seibert Drive in Kitchener said they were stunned by the suddenness of the storm. “It started to get pretty black, then we felt a few drops of rain and we decided we better pack it and go in. We just got in and that’s when it turned ugly, like in a minute,” explained Brett Bossenberry. “It was crazy how fast. Then we heard a big snap in the back and another tree went down.” While there was no damage to his property, Bossenberry’s neighbour was not so lucky. “A loud sound happened, and a giant tree landed on my house,” Ryan Hess said. The extent of that damage is still unclear but Hess is happy it wasn’t worse. “Last night was pretty intense,” he said. “We took our dogs in the basement and hid with the candle lights because there was no power.” Fred and Colleen Fritz, who live on Yellow Birch Drive, were shocked by the intensity of the thunder. “It was loud,” they said. “It was a big bang. You could feel it on the windshield, like the thunder was just rattling.” Over on Clark Avenue, water flooded the street after fallen tree branches and leaves clogged the sewers. Neighbours worked together to clear the grate of debris. A tree branch could also be seen dangling on an electrical wire near Siebert Avenue and Vanier Drive, while a tree split in half and landed on Fairway Street North near Jansen Avenue, blocking almost the entire road. Crews worked overnight to make repairs and clean up the damage.
