Today we’re used to numerous warning methods when severe weather strikes. Advances in communications, planning, and technology often provide enough time to take cover when disaster looms. When Barrie, Ontario experienced an F4 category tornado on the afternoon of May 31, 1985, emergency response plans weren’t yet in place. Only severe thunderstorm warnings were relayed via radio and television.

“It was the first time a weather event of that magnitude had hit this area,” local official Cathy Clark recalled three decades later. “I think that was the first really alarming event that made everyone who lives in this region say ‘Oh my goodness, this can happen here.’”

“I think that was the first really alarming event that made everyone who lives in this region say ‘Oh my goodness, this can happen here.’”

The Canadian Red Cross quickly swung into action, setting up a temporary relief headquarters. Amateur radio operators were a major asset, as they kept communication lines open via battery or generators. These operators helped coordinate rescue work and reunite families scattered around the city. Two days later, relief workers went door-to-door with food and water in heavily-damaged neighbourhoods. The feeding operation during the recovery period was one of the largest in the Red Cross’s history, as thousands of meals were prepared for victims and workers assisting with the clean-up. Overall, around 10,000 people were helped by the Red Cross.

The tornado, which was among the strongest of 13 which struck Ontario that day and 31 which hit the United States, killed nine people in Barrie and destroyed hundreds of homes. Since then, provincial legislation has mandated municipal emergency planning, while more accurate forecasting by Environment Canada and the use of social media alert people about dangerous weather when time is of the essence.