Homeowners are still assessing the damage after strong winds whipped across southern Ontario on Wednesday. Doug and Alicja Arnold were among the unlucky ones in Kitchener’s Westheights neighbourhood. “Thunder and lightening, just a huge noise up above,” Doug recalled. “And, within a few seconds, boom! On the roof we heard a noise. My wife and I opened the door and, oh my gosh.” “We heard a terrible noise,” Alicja continued. “We see our tree split in half. And the branches, everything is lying down on our roof.” At first, she was more worried about the damage inside the couple’s home. “I felt like everything is going down,” Alicja said of her initial reaction. “But slowly, slowly, [after] the first moment, I go upstairs and I check and I think, ‘Okay, it’s not that bad because it’s just the damage to the roof and the tree so far.’ We did not see any more damage.” The Arnolds still aren’t sure what needs to be fixed. “I’m hoping that there’s no punctures in the house roof. We do have punctures in the garage roof,” Doug said. “I thought I heard dripping [in the garage] last night. But I’d have to take the car out [to see].” While the city is removing debris from roads and sidewalks, owners are responsible for any downed trees on private property. The only exception is for city-owned trees on private property. For the Arnolds, it’s the first time they have had to submit a home insurance claim. “I’m learning a lot and also very disappointed,” Doug admitted, explaining that his insurance company will only cover some of the cost to remove the tree and repair the roof. “Nobody ever expects that you’re going to be the next victim,” he said. “Unfortunately, this time we were. I don’t know why the rest of the neighbourhood doesn’t have what we have.” Residents in Kitchener can report downed trees or large branches on city streets or sidewalks to the city at 519-741-2345. They also shared the following suggestions for anyone removing a fallen tree on their own:
