Tweed, Ont. residents facing $20,000 per acre cost to clear tornado-flattened trees

Homeowners can't afford tornado cleanup Tweed homeowners find Insurance has limits as pricey cleanup continues long after the July 2022 tornado. CTV's Kimberley Johnson reports.

Residents in Tweed, Ont. say they are still struggling to clean up the effects of the tornado that ripped through their area six months ago and they need more financial help.

The small municipality sits north of Napanee and Belleville in eastern Ontario.

On July 24, 2022, a tornado tore through Tweed, and nearby places like Havelock, Marmora and Madoc, damaging homes and trees.

Months on, Annette Young’s property off Highway 7 still has flattened trees for miles.

"I have tried and tried to get (government officials) in to try to help to get some type of support and there’s just nothing," she told CTV News Ottawa.

Young and her husband have already spent tens of thousands of dollars cleaning up the property with friends and volunteers.

She says contractors have told her that it could cost $20,000 an acre to clear the rest, which isn’t covered by insurance.

"I can’t afford that; I have 68 acres," she explains.

Young says she and her neighbours need financial help.

"I feel extremely forgotten," she says. "I feel like our government doesn’t care about us at all."

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry says that the homeowners were not eligible for Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians (DRAO) program because assessment teams "found either most of the damages to homes and businesses were insured," or it was tree damage that was not eligible under the program.

"The DRAO program is not intended to replace insurance and does not cover all losses… Generally, landowners are responsible for costs associated with tree or debris removal on their property."

Tweed mayor Don DeGenova says the municipality of only 6,500 people can’t help, and there are concerns that the trees could spark fires and flooding in the spring.

"We don’t have deep pockets and that’s why it’s imperative that governments like the federal government and the provincial governments come forward and help small communities like this," he explains.

Rob and Elizabeth Haid have worked countless hours to clear away the damage to their family-run campground in the area.

Rob Haid says they have already spent $200,000 cleaning up trees and only a portion has been covered by insurance.

"This was our little retirement package and we spent a lot of money here and didn’t expect a tornado to hit," he explains.

All the work they have done means they will be able to open in time, but Elizabeth Haid says there is worry that further clean up required along the road and in the river will affect business.

"When you come in on the road (and see the piles, it) is just not attractive. It’s almost depressing," she says of the memory of the tornado.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry says they met with municipal representatives last week.

DeGenova says he felt the meeting was productive, and while there is hope that more help will be coming, he says it likely will not be for residents directly.

"We don’t know what that is, but it gave us some hope," he says.

Homeowners like Young say they continue to be frustrated.

"Frustrated. Hurt. Sad," she says. "It’s not just me though, the whole community is affected."