WINDSOR, ONT. -- A brief but powerful storm packed a punch Monday night for some businesses in Old Sandwich Town.
“It was awe inspiring the amount that happened in that short period of time,” said Jordan Tough the manager of the Dominion House.
The storm tore through the patio at the Dominion House. Tough says the area had just been cleared of customers when two massive trees were uprooted, landing on the volleyball courts while another large limb landed on the patio where customers had just left.
“We lost some tree limbs, two big birch trees came down,” said Tough.
Manager Robert Rosati says no one was hurt, but the volleyball courts are destroyed and the patio deck is severely damaged as well.
“I guess in a way we are kind of lucky for COVID usually with these, they would be filled every night but we haven’t been able to run the volleyball,” said Rosati.
Uprooted trees also caused severe damage to the Olde Towne Bake Shoppe next door. “I looked outside it was just like mayhem,“ said Mary Ann Cuderman, owner of the bake shop.
“I can’t understand how all three came down at the same time like this. It’s one of those freak things I think that happened.”
Cuderman said she’s feeling overwhelmed, but both businesses say after cleanup, it will be business as usual.
“There was no sleep last night, but I think in a couple of days we’ll all be fine again,” said Cuderman.
In addition to the storm damage officials at Enwin say there were six power outages Monday night, predominantly in the areas of Sandwich and West Windsor.
Five of the outages were due to downed wires from fallen tree limbs; the other was due to a lightning strike.
“142 years a lot of things have happened here. Give us a couple of days and we’ll be serving drinks again,” said Rosati.
As far as a damage estimate, both businesses say they don’t have an estimate yet, they are waiting to talk to insurance and a tree removal company.
City of Windsor officials reported: 53 tree branches/limbs down; six blocked catch basins; no reports of flooded basements
