Thousands of Quebecers are cleaning up, assessing the damage, and figuring out insurance claims after a devastasting storm swept across the province.

Environment Canada said the storm started with hail in the Outaouais region early Tuesday afternoon and caused more damage as it moved east.

A tornado struck Lachute, damaging more than 300 homes.

Environment Canada has confirmed a microburst with winds blasting more than 100 km/h straight down hit NDG just after 3 p.m., bringing down trees across the entire borough.

CDN-NDG borough mayor Russell Copeman said it will be well into September--at the earliest --before everything is sorted out.

"It's going to take weeks until we get it completely cleaned up. Our priority is streets, major east-west arteries, and then side streets. After that it will be parks. Most streets we hope will be open by the end of [Wednesday]," said Copeman.

"They had to close Sherbooke St. West for a couple hours because of a tree branch that's been damaged."

In the western section of NDG, a tree on Mariette Ave. that residents had been asking to have removed for years cracked in half.

Firefighters set up a command post about one kilometre to the east, where a falling tree hit a hydro pole and broke it to pieces.

NDG Park, on the eastern edge of the borough, is a disaster zone. Most trees in the park at the corner of Girouard Ave. and Sherbrooke St. were blown down by the wind.

Events for NDG Arts week, which was taking place in the park, have been cancelled until further notice.

Cars, homes crushed by trees

Many cars were crushed by falling trees, although residents are taking it in stride.

"I came down and said 'oh boy that tree's down. Didn't I park there?'" said Linda Benoit, whose car was crushed by a massive tree.

Watching the storm from her apartment, Benoit said the wind and rain was terribly impressive.

"I've been there for 17 years and I've never seen anything like that ever," she said.

Matthew Wood's backyard on Kensington Ave. is now almost inaccessible, as it has been filled with three fallen trees that stretch from fence to fence, and are lying on the back of his house.

"Underneath here somewhere is a badminton net," said the NDG resident.

The falling trees ripped the roof off a shed, and branches hit almost every window.

"When it gets windy here branches from the neighbour's trees come into the yard. Happens, regularly. You don't expect their whole tree to end up in your yard. And I have a new appreciation for the force of Mother Nature," he said.

The worst part for Wood is that he doesn't even have any trees on his own property.

 

Insurance will provide coverage

Insurance will cover most of the damage, according to Pierre Babinsky of the Insurance Bureau of Canada.

"If wind makes a tree fall on your roof, creates a hole through which the rain can come in your home, that water damage would also be covered because the primary cause is wind. So again, people should be confident that they're covered," said Babinsky.

Public Security Minister Martin Coiteux said provincial help would be available if needed.

"The main problem on the government's side that has to be dealt in NDG is the re-establishment of electric power," said Coiteux.

"I had a conversation with the mayor of Montreal this morning to make sure that if they needed more help from the government we'd be ready to offer such help. Everything is under control right now."

Concordia University decided early Wednesday that its Loyola campus would close for the day. Electricity was restored on Wednesday evening. The campus will reopen Aug. 24. All activities will resume as scheduled.

Power was also out at the Benny library and the NDG Sports Centre, though electricity has since been restored.

"The area most heavily affected appears to be between Girouard and Coronation Ave. and between Terrebonne and Sherbrooke St." said Copeman.

Leslyn, who has lived in NDG for decades, was on Girouard Ave. when the storm hit.

"It was unspeakable. It was like God just hauling things up in the air... juggling. It was freaky. I was scared. I was terrified," said Leslyn.

When she walked home under clear skies half an hour later, she saw more devastation firsthand: a tree in front of her home had split in half and fallen on her house.

"Right there, on top of the roof," said Leslyn.

Copeman urged people to be wary of checking out downed trees and the like because he's certain that trees have been weakened by the microburst and by the second storm that hit later in the evening.

"Stay out of the parks, NDG park is particularly heavily affected, to ensure their safety and security," said Copeman.

Firefighters spent the afternoon and evening inspecting downed trees, ensuring gas lines were not broken, and that nobody was trapped in homes or vehicles.

Hydro Quebec crews have been working in NDG since Tuesday afternoon, and will need some time to replace five hydro poles that snapped on one street.

"The destruction to our network is quite severe," said Serge Abergel.

"In some areas the network is on the ground and it has to be built from scratch. We were just over on Montclair Ave. There are five Hydro poles down, there are live wires, trees are down; just to get our trucks in there is quite a bit of work."

Crews expect to restore power to most homes by Thursday morning

The utility also advised people to call electricians if lines attached to their homes are damaged.