Dozens of families are still living in temporary housing and hotels four months after a tornado tore through the Long Plain First Nation in Manitoba.
The Enhanced Fujita Scale 1 (EF 1) tornado touched down for 10 to 15 minutes on July 20, moving between 30 and 50 km/h. The tornado ripped the roofs off houses and tossed parked cars, damaging 47 buildings in all.
Despite hopes of being back in their homes by the holiday season, 200 people are still unable to return, with construction on the remaining homes expected to be finished by March.
"We want to come back but there's nothing to come back to," evacuee Clemance Assiniboine told CTV Winnipeg.
Clemance and his wife Eunine lost a motor home, furniture and other vehicles due to storm damage. The couple has been living in a home in Portage La Prairie, paid for by the Red Cross, after living in a hotel after their evacuation.
The stress of moving and losing possessions has taken a toll on the two.
"My husband and I have been having a rough time," said Eunice. "Everything seems good, but it's not."
The pair was allowed to see the inside of their home for the first time since the tornado damaged it.
"It's awful, it gets me all choked up because I can't believe it's like this," said Eunice.
The uncertainty of moving back has taken its toll on families as well.
Kathyrn Myran tried to stay in her house with her sons, but water damage to her home forced them in to a hotel.
"There's so much interior damage with water and mould, and things of that nature," she said. "I don't what their whole plan is on how they're going to fix it or when they're going to fix it."
Long Plain First Nations' chief and band council are stressing that repairs have been steady and they've held regular meetings to update evacuees.
"The kids are all in school, so that's a good thing," said Liz Merrick, one of the First Nations' council members. "Things are clipping along. Roofs are all done actually."
Each damaged home is subject to a safety checklist and air quality test before families are allowed to return.
With a report from CTV Winnipeg’s Beth Macdonnell
