Storm cleanup expected to take days across Windsor-Essex after powerful weekend storms

Powerful winds toppled trees, leaving a path of destruction across Windsor-Essex. CTV’s Sanjay Maru has more.

Cleanup from this weekend’s storms could take several days across Windsor-Essex, as homeowners and restoration crews work through fallen trees, damaged roofs, and other storm-related repairs.

One of the hardest-hit locations was the Downtown Windsor Community Collaborative’s community space on Church Street, where a large tree crashed through the roof of the building Friday evening.

Robert Clifford with the Downtown Windsor Community Collaborative said the non-profit had only taken over the building in January and had begun making plans to transform it into a community space.

Instead, crews spent Monday removing soaked drywall and insulation while the damaged roof remained covered by a tarp.

Despite the extensive damage, Clifford said he’s grateful for what didn’t happen.

“The last person had left the building 15 minutes before the tree fell,” Clifford said. “So the building was empty of people.”

The collaborative says insurance will restore the building to its previous condition, while fundraising efforts will continue to help complete renovations that had already been planned for the space.

The damage extended well beyond downtown, spanning all across Windsor and Essex County.

In Windsor’s Roseland neighbourhood, fallen trees remain scattered throughout residential streets. One crashed onto Alexandra Rowles’ home while she was standing at a window watching the storm.

“I looked out here to see the weather, the wind, and then all of a sudden down,” Rowles said. “The snap, the crackle, the rattling of the house — I think I yelped and jumped back when everything happened.”

The tree damaged the roof, allowing water to make its way into the home.

Jon Peladeau, marketing and business development manager with Paul Davis Restoration Windsor-Essex, said the company has received more than 100 calls since the storms rolled through, with homeowners reporting everything from fallen trees to roofs stripped of shingles.

“We’re dealing with the fallout of the storm over the weekend,” Peladeau said. “Not only the heavy windstorm that took place on Friday, but then the heavy rains that took place on Saturday into Sunday, even leading into today.”

Peladeau said restoration crews are prioritizing the most urgent jobs while working through the volume of calls, adding that homeowners should expect some delays as crews continue responding to damage across Windsor-Essex.

“When we have a heavy storm like this, it can give us a bit of a backlog,” Peladeau said. “Bear with us all. We will be out to see you.”