# Bad storm hits Goderich



## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Just saw this and immediately thought of Mooh 

http://www.vancouversun.com/Severe+storm+tears+through+Ontario+community/5286266/story.html

Dave


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Just heard of this, damn!


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

There are currently warnings to the east of Toronto. I think it's moving east.Heads up Brockville and Cornwall!


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

We got quite the downpour here just east of Toronto. Water couldn't go down the storm drains fast enough. A small lake formed in front of the house - about 8-10 inches in the middle of the road. A good 18" over the storm drain. My brother went out to clear the debris away afterwards and found a $5 bill.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

My thoughts were for mooh as well ... 

Check it out .. the storm 

[video=youtube;-a1V_4GC0Uw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a1V_4GC0Uw&amp;feature=mfu_in_order&amp;list=UL[/video]


The damage 

[video=youtube;4e3t1lhtkYg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e3t1lhtkYg&amp;feature=autoplay&amp;list=UL-a1V_4GC0Uw&amp;index=3&amp;playnext=3[/video]


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

Damn. That was worse than I originally thought.


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## Andy (Sep 23, 2007)

My hometown as well. Quite a bit of damage here, though the mood among the town is pretty positive. Not a lot of injuries reported, though there has been one death. I hope everyone else can start to rebuild or recover as soon as possible.

I took a few photos earlier this evening:


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Holy crap Andy, that's intense!


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

Hope we hear from Mooh soon. They are reporting only 1 dead at the salt mine, but his house is very near the square. Prayers going out to all in town.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Hope all is well. Marnie has a bunch of family in that area as well. Brutal damage


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Hi Folks, I'm okay. 

The bride and I were up north, just starting a week of holidays when we got word that Goderich was blasted. We rushed home to find the general chaos that you all saw on the news. The ruined church that was prominent in the news is immediately to the east of us, about 12 feet away. It is still partly standing, but it threatens our house. Until it falls or is taken down, we can't do much about our place. Heavy rain this morning wasn't entirely prevented by tarping the roof, so now we have water to add to the glass, insulation (not ours), dirt, and debris all over the inside of the house. All trees are ruined, as are the fence, tent trailer, gardens, windows, paint, etc. Structural engineers, insurance agents, brokers, adjusters, assessors, contractors, police, Labour Ministry, town authorities, neighbours, volunteers, rubberneckers, all contribute to our lives this week. My lesson studio will be delayed in starting this year as there is no way the place is fit for work, teaching, or learning. 

We are staying with friends, and we have Rosie The Wonder Dog & Cosmo The Other Dog with us. Within the next week or so we'll have a better idea of the future. In the meantime, one daughter is coming home, and friends will be getting more visits. 

Many friends had more damage than us. One lost his restaurant and his home, another lost her whole house, another his car wash, another his home...and many others lost cars, windows, roofs...never mind the downtown square businesses, whole blocks of which had collapsed roofs and blown out storefronts. 

The saltmine shut down due to aboveground damages, the evaporator plant shut down, every bank is closed, the post office is closed, and there are more police and service personnel in town than ever before.

When does it return to normal?

Peace, Mooh


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

Glad to hear that you and yours are okay. Quite the calamity! We are praying for a speedy recovery for all involved.

P.S. I'm glad to see you're still on the board - haven't seen a post in a while and I always appreciate what you have to say.


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

Glad you are safe Mooh...hope everything works out for you and the rest of the town.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

All the best to everyone that was hit by that storm. Hoping for a sppedy recovery from this.


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## ronmac (Sep 22, 2006)

Glad to know that you and yours are OK, Mooh. I can't imagine the turmoil and uncertainty that you must be experiencing. 

Be well.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Mooh...Thanks for your post. 

It is such a relief to know that you and your family are OK.

Hope that you are able to get through all that has to be done in the coming weeks/months without too much hardship.

Dave


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

i'm glad you are ok. the pics and vids look bad. i've been around my fair share of tornadoes, and of course i'm always amazed by their power. but if you are observant, you'll see some really amazing things too.

i just wanted to say something positive is all.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

bw66 said:


> Glad to hear that you and yours are okay. Quite the calamity! We are praying for a speedy recovery for all involved.
> 
> P.S. I'm glad to see you're still on the board - haven't seen a post in a while and I always appreciate what you have to say.


Thanks everyone, it certainly has been a trial. Today was all about insurance...oh, what fun *THAT* is! We won't be able to enter our home and business for at least several days and more likely several weeks. Not to be confused with living and working there, that will be much longer, likely months unless I'm very much surprised.

I've been away from the board a bit only because I've been busier than heck, but I've been reading most days, just not posting so much. I didn't really realize how long it had been until you mentioned it.

Thanks again everyone!

Peace, Mooh.


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## Big_Daddy (Apr 2, 2009)

It's a relief to know that you and yours are safe and sound, mooh. Goderich is near and dear to me and my wife (we honeymooned at Ben Miller) and we hope the town and you get back on your feet soon.


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## urko99 (Mar 30, 2009)

Glad you and and your family are OK Mooh. My wife and I and Family spent a lot of time in the Godrich area vacationing and staying a the Twin Porches B&B. We used to be regulars at the Celtic festival and always patroned the local resteraunt fare, as well as the flea markets at the old jail. Wishing you and your family a speedy recovery back to a normal life.


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## urko99 (Mar 30, 2009)

Glad you and and your family are&nbsp;OK Mooh.&nbsp;My wife and I and Family spent a lot of time in the Godrich area vacationing and staying a the Twin Porches B&amp;B.&nbsp; We used to be regulars at the Celtic festival and always patroned the local resteraunt fare, as well as the flea markets at the old jail. Wishing you and your family a speedy recovery back to a normal life.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

urko99 said:


> Glad you and and your family are&nbsp;OK Mooh.&nbsp;My wife and I and Family spent a lot of time in the Godrich area vacationing and staying a the Twin Porches B&amp;B.&nbsp; We used to be regulars at the Celtic festival and always patroned the local resteraunt fare, as well as the flea markets at the old jail. Wishing you and your family a speedy recovery back to a normal life.


Thanks. This town had pretty good restaurants for a town this size, and better than average parks for any town, plus a nice lakefront and other nice sights. There has been some events that have sprung up too, like the bluesfest (which I'm guessing is in danger this year...a drag since one of my bands was booked), lots of dramatic stuff, bigger fleamarket and farmers' market, etc. The celtic festival continues to evolve, and I've been lucky enough to play every one in some format or another. 

Today was about finding workspace and living space until my home and studio are up and running, likely months away.

These are interesting times for us, and I thank everyone for their support and encouragement>

Peace, Mooh.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Best wishes!! I saw the LCBO has a donation box


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Mooh: I was thinking of you when I heard about the tornado in Goderich. You're the only person I know of in the town. It was perfect timing to be out of town at that time. Glad to hear you and the family are okay and you have a place to stay (and play?). I hope everything goes well in the end although I'm sure it will take time to get everything sorted out and back to normal. Best regards, Steadfastly


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Thanks folks! 

Well...we found and have moved into the new work space just down the street from home, and we'll be living upstairs from it for a couple of months or so while work is ongoing at our house. The house will get new windows, doors, roof, fence, flooring, and lots of cleaning/restoration inside and out. Most trees are down so we'll be getting trees from friends up north and from a kindly local supplier. The insurance company has already given us a fair price for the tent trailer that was destroyed. What a weird feeling to be renting again!

Peace, Mooh.


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## Guest (Sep 6, 2011)

Mooh, happy to hear you're safe; is insurance helping with the repairs or did they weasel out of it?

I had to look Goedrich up...wasn't quite sure where it was. Oh my. What a perfect spot! Kind of wondering what it'd be like to move there now...


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Have not heard from our other member in Goderich. Josh House of House guitar fame.


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## snacker (Jun 26, 2008)

mooh: glad you're ok - seeing the destruction in the square is heartbreaking - i've played at the bedford (duke) probably 50 times and wicked willies, candlelight and the livery a bunch too - for a few years goderich felt like a second home to me


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Josh House's home and business were displaced but he and his bride are otherwise fine. We hung out a bit during the first couple of days of the aftermath. Insurance is covering us okay so far.

Peace, Mooh.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

4 months ago today. Phew.

Josh's wife, Jessica, dropped by yesterday with a Christmas card. They are doing well.

Mrs. Mooh and I are also well, our home is nearly fixed, just little things left to do. We still aren't living there, but I expect we'll be moving back within a month, mayb even a couple of weeks. The restoration company was somewhat disorganized so our belongings got dirty after the fact when they shouldn't have, and not everything got completed in a logical order. However, it's all water under the bridge now. New roof (our second as a cyclone in '95 removed it too), windows, some doors, shed, fences, some flooring, paint, some drywall...it's a long list.

We got hit very hard, and it's a hard road back, but we know lots of people way worse off than us. There are displaced families waiting for new homes and belongings, businesses lost, and people suffering all manner of trauma. What amazes us is the way folks just pick up and carry on. My Dad told me once, privately, that it was hard to hurt him as he'd survived the depression, a world war, the loss of a child, severe illness, and God knows what else. Maybe this is a taste of that experience. Our experiences, good, bad, ugly, form and inform us. 

The CBC had a brief segment about the aftermath on the news last night. 

Peace, Mooh.


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## Big_Daddy (Apr 2, 2009)

Wow. Four months. I admire your spirit and perserverance. My best wishes to you and everyone else in Goderich and hoping you experience a fantastic 2012.


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## ronmac (Sep 22, 2006)

Thought of you Mooh, and all those affected, when I heard the news piece on CBC this morning. A terrible disruption in life, I am sure.

Hope the new year treats you, and your community, well.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Well folks, I moved home a week ago, 20 weeks after the storm. My wife moved back a couple of days later with the dogs as it wasn't quite safe for the dogs when I made the move. Basically I moved when I started working from home again. There are a couple of things remaining to be fixed, like tweaking exterior and one interior doors, exterior painting, but nothing major. We're still waiting on a new chair and some area carpets to be delivered too. Having the Christmas break to move was very convenient.

It's the new normal, and it feels great to be home. There are many families much less fortunate than us and community support has been great but the emotional toll on people has been somewhat of an issue. 

Thanks for the kind thoughts and offers. You folks are the greatest. 

Peace, Mooh.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Mooh, this is such fantastic news !! 

Wishing you and your family a very, very, warm welcome back to your home.

Is there anything practical that we (living elsewhere) could do to assist the residents of Goderich to recover emotionally? 

Cheers

Dave


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

Glad to hear that you have found a "new normal". Hopefully everyone else still affected by the disaster will soon be able to do the same.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

That's great news


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

Great to hear Mooh. All the best to you!


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Thanks.

There are still lots of businesses on The Square (downtown) and nearby out of their places. Ernie King Music, the local mom'n'pop music shop, is still displaced as are it's block neighbours. Even the Bank of Montreal isn't back yet though they have a temporary location in town. 

We were fortunate to get a very good contractor who has gone beyond requirement to make us happy. Sure, decent insurance helps, but in the end workmanship matters too. We're considering some extra work next summer and this contractor is our first choice. This experience has been quite an education.

Peace, Mooh.


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

[video=youtube;ZNg6xr5YHLc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&amp;v=ZNg6xr5YHLc#![/video]


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

Did King music re open? If not, is there a guitar shop in Goderich anymore?


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Ernie King Music re-opened a couple of weeks ago at a new address on the south side of West Street, just off The Square. It looks like more space to me but I've only been in once. The Goderich location is managed by Jamie Wallace, son of the owners, Dave and Marie Wallace, who manage the Wingham location. Ernie King himself sold the business many years ago and died earlier this year. 


Jim DaddyO said:


> Did King music re open? If not, is there a guitar shop in Goderich anymore?


Peace, Mooh.


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

Thanks Mooh, I was just wondering as I go west to Goderich more than east to Stratford. I need strings and stuff now and then, and you know what it is like to get parking in Stratford if you just have to pop in for something small.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

If you're stuck Jim, I often have some strings on hand, or I pick some up for you if the store isn't open conveniently for you. Do you still have my number?

Peace, Mooh.



Jim DaddyO said:


> Thanks Mooh, I was just wondering as I go west to Goderich more than east to Stratford. I need strings and stuff now and then, and you know what it is like to get parking in Stratford if you just have to pop in for something small.


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

PM sent Mooh


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Got it. Good to hear from you again.

Peace, Mooh.



Jim DaddyO said:


> PM sent Mooh


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Mooh: I saw this thread pop up and I thought, "Oh no, they didn't get hit again did they?" Then I saw the date. Glad to see it was just the thread getting resurrected and not the storm. Regards, Steadfastly


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Perish the thought! 

Some friends are in their new homes, others are just getting their old one torn down. I think I know why humankind has survived so long, folks hang together when things get tough.

Peace, Mooh.



Steadfastly said:


> Mooh: I saw this thread pop up and I thought, "Oh no, they didn't get hit again did they?" Then I saw the date. Glad to see it was just the thread getting resurrected and not the storm. Regards, Steadfastly


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