Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - August 8, 2006, Winnipeg, Manitoba Tornado aftermath its hard to believe they weren tall a8 Winnipeg free press tuesday August 8, 2006 Albert Bakker photo emergency Crews deliver victims from Kendall Point Lodge to ambulances at Landing near Pointe Dubois saturday night. The injured had to be boated Down the Winnipeg River to the town. Holidaying medics first to Render Aid Portage doctor boats to Lodge gives in triage Tornado victims or. Jim Price of Portage la Prairie i can to believe the Power of this by Jen Skerritt was among the thing Price said standing atop debris at first to reach the battered Lodge sunday afternoon. I Kendall Point f the Black Tornado Clouds had a Sil its hard to believe they weren tall Lodge. Ver lining it was that medical Boris Minkevich / Winnipeg free press Fessio nals also vacation Price was one of several physicians at cottages and Camp who helped Tornado victims grounds. Before emergency Crews ers thrown and things destroyed he summer. Residents were taken to a near cell service out Here he said. Officials had High Praise and paramedics arrived on said standing next to an uprooted tree in by restaurant where emergency Crews Chuck Sanderson executive director yesterday for the doctors the scene in Gull Lake Lac Lac Dubonnet. I be seen tornadoes in assessed if anyone was missing. Of emergency measures organization and nurses who happened to Fate plays a Dubonnet and Pointe do farm areas but never where people Gull Lake cottagers were later trans said spotty cell phone coverage can be holidaying in the Torna Bois Early saturday in Gull Lake Many cottagers were not ported to a hotel in nearby Power View cause difficulties during Rescue opera Dos path and used their big role in evening. In their campers or trailers when the Tor for the night. Tons. Skills to help victims in the at a tour of the tornadoes Nado hit because of a nearby poker however Harbottle noted there were its has a cell network system and critical minutes before things like aftermath in Lac Dubonnet Derby. A few loopholes in response efforts. We re always working with its to try emergency Crews arrived. Saturday afternoon pre although paramedics and emergency he said More could be been done to pre and improve that. There Are some dead this Portage la Prairie phys Mier Gary doer noted it Crews were on the scene within several vent grief stricken families from return spots in this province and we want to try Cian Jim Price for example was Good Fortune to have minutes and the municipalities Emer ing to their destroyed properties via the and get through that said Sanderson. Joined other cottagers who doctors and nurses in the gency measures plan was in place pm waterfront while it was still dangerous however he said the government ? pm of Alexander Reeve hopped in their boats and immediate Vicinity of the of Alexander Reeve George Harbottle because Hydro lines were Down. Encourages Remote lodges to have the rushed to Kendall Point George Harbottle main three disaster Strick said having first responders among the although the ramp had Access roads satellite phones on site. The Kendall Lodge to help. In areas Early saturday cottagers in Gull Lake was certainly a Well barricaded Harbottle said it was Point Lodge had its own communication within minutes Price evening. Plus to Rescue efforts. Difficult to secure the Lake Shore. He also Tower but it was knocked Down by the gave a seriously injured he said the first concern Fate plays a big role in things like noted communication Between people Tornado. Man an in assessed the con in any disaster is life and this he said. Was difficult since cell phone service in edition of each of the victims and prior limb and the province will work with he said the municipality has been Well the Gull Lake and Lac Dubonnet area is sized who would be carried out on a municipalities to rebuild communities. Prepared for disasters and Learned a lot unreliable and sometimes nonexistent. Stretcher first when paramedics arrived. Gull Lake is unbelievable just Trail from the Lester Beach Flash flood last for safety reasons they should have. recreational properties not eligible for disaster Aid by David Kuxhaus and Carol Sanders the owners of cottages and trailers destroyed by saturdays tornadoes Are unlikely to get government disaster Aid. Chuck Sanderson executive director of the emergency measures Organiza Tion said Only primary residences Are eligible for financial assistance. Hopefully most people will have insurance he said. Sanderson said aside from year round residences infrastructure that belongs to municipalities in the Region such As a Road or a Public Dock might qualify for assistance if replacing it would create an undue hardship for the local government. It will be at least 10 Days before government officials Are Able to totally assess the damage. Sanderson toured the area yesterday with transportation and government services minister Ron Lemieux. Lemieux said he was struck by the level of devastation. When you re there first hand it really hits you Lemieux said. Yesterday the pm of Alexander and pm of St. Clements worked together to Clear Trees and extricate vehicles trapped beneath fallen branches and stumps. Pm of Alexander Reeve George har bottle said Crews in both Gull Lake and Lac Dubonnet continued to escort traumatized Tornado survivors to their campers and trailers to Salvage any scraps of personal belongings. For some of them its very traumatic he said. They go Back and there a nothing Harbottle said the municipalities were taking Over securing the areas of Gull Lake and Lac Dubonnet from the ramp last night and should have the cleanup wrapped up by when you re wednesday or there first hand thursday. It really hits Glenn Schnei Der of Manitoba you Hydro said that after the Torna transportation and does struck 2,000 government services customers lost minister Ron Power. Lemieux. Three steel transmission Tow ers were destroyed including one that blocked Highway 11. Six Hydro Crews ? 60 people ? were called in to restore Power. The towers Are being replaced by temporary wooden ones he said. Last night the 240 customers who were still without Power were expected to have their Hydro service restored. Sanderson said his organization will also be working to ensure that other services provided by the province whether they be medical or conserva Tion related Are not disrupted. Despite the widespread destruction Only one person was killed. Ramp staff sgt. Steve Saunders identified the woman who died As Elfreida Visser 64, of Winnipeg. Her husband was listed in stable condition at health sciences Centre yesterday. All together three people were injured at Gull Lake the woman a Hus band included and up to 14 people out at Point Dubois but none of those injuries Are considered life threaten ing said Saunders who credited local residents in Gull Lake for firing up their chainsaws and Clearing an Access Road into the area to allow emergency responders to get quickly to the injured. There were fears that some boaters May have been caught in the Tornado but Saunders said there Are no reports of anyone missing. At tall Timber Lodge at Bird River there was extensive property damage but Only very minor injuries he said. Saunders said ramp officers have been keeping an Eye on Peoples prop erty in the devastated areas. . ;