Eastern Ontario residents pleading for help as cleanup continues from a tornado

As residents continue to pick up the pieces left behind by last Sunday's tornado in the Tweed, Ont. area, one family is pleading for help, as the clean up could take months. 

Four days after a tornado tore through Allan Corse and Annette Young's property along Hwy. 7, the family is still at a loss for words

"You can't comprehend it," Young said, holding back tears. "Beautiful trees, hundreds of them, now they are all gone. There's not one left."

Their home was right in the middle of the tornado's path, with their 68-acre property sustaining substantial tree damage. 

A shed that once stood behind the house overlooking a valley, is now in the valley.

The mature forest below, levelled.

"I'm afraid, very afraid of what's going to happen next because we can't afford to clean this up," Young told CTV News Ottawa. 

A look at the devastation in the valley behind Allan Corse and Annette Young's property in the Tweed, Ont. area. A tornado touched down in the area on Sunday. (Nate Vandermeer/CTV News Ottawa)

Luckily, their house was spared, with only a few broken windows and missing shingles. The insurance company deeming it structurally sound.

The garage, however, will have to be replaced as the winds shifted it from the foundation. 

"We do have a house and we are luckier than some because some people did lose their homes here," Young said. "(Insurance) does not cover property damage, no. We're on our own for all of our sheds and our shop and any of the trees down."

"Its devastation," said Young's daughter Rachel Page. "I've never, like, to see it how it used to be and how it is now, just unrecognizable."

Page drove from Ottawa to be with her parents this week, struggling to know what the next steps will be. 

"What do we do? Who do we contact? What's the plan?" she questioned. "We don't know what to really do and we are just kind of waiting to hear what's going on and being patient with it."

The Municipality of Tweed has declared a state of emergency, but those affected by the storm say they need help as quickly as possible. 

A home damaged and trees uprooted near Tweed, Ont. following Sunday's storm. (Nate Vandermeer/CTV News Ottawa)

Tweed councillor Jim Flieler was out doing what he can with his chainsaw at the property. 

His work, cut out for him.

"I don't think I'll live long enough to see the cleanup, you know the end result," he sighed. "Never seen anything like it. I've lived here my whole life."

He says the call is out for more resources from senior levels of government.

"(The municipality) is trying to work with the province and federal government to try to see if there's anything, any opportunities there," he said. 

"I appreciate what the people have done," he added. "They step up and try to help their neighbours and I'm just so proud to be a member of this community."

"Wherever I can help, I will and, it's just a sick feeling in your stomach to see this mess, but anyway we'll get through it."

"We need waste cans, we need people just to come and help load stuff. We need help," added Young. "And not just us, anybody affected by this needs help."

Page said she did reach out to the municipality for help, but was told the resources were not available at the moment. 

"All of their crews are out trying to get the emergency roads cleared and everything, the hydro poles back up so their hands are tied," she said, continuing to check the website for updates. 

"They are constantly providing updates, they are trying to help, but, of course, there is only so much you can do. It's only been four days now so I get it but at the same time, I guess when you are really, really scared and in a predicament like this you want answers right away," Page said. 

"The community here is beautiful," added her mother. "They really do try to help but there are just too many of us."

Too many to help with a cleanup they say will take years, not months.

"I don't think people realize how bad it is. And it's bad. It's bad," Page said.