Tornadoes in Ontario destroy more than people's homes.

Last night tornadoes hit south western Ontario. In one city alone 600 houses were damaged and 44 of those homes must now be torn down because they are “unliveable”. Cars were toppled over like they were toys throw about by children. Hundred year old trees fell, taking the power lines with them. Thousands were left without power, some until this morning.

As devastating as this sounds, houses can be rebuilt, cars replaced, trees replanted and power restored. What can’t be brought back is the life of the eleven year old boy who got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

When the news first broke that an eleven year old boy had died while taking cover in a forest from the storm, my first thought was, ‘What on earth was this boy doing outside in the forest when the storm reports had been on the news since the morning?’ I couldn’t help but wonder why his parents hadn’t gone out to look for him when the sky started to turn dark and stormy.
While the details are still unclear as to what happened, today the news reported that this boy had been at a day camp when the storm hit. The man who ran towards the dying screams of this little boy to try and help him didn’t seem to know the boy or have anything to do with him.

Where were the people who were supposed to be watching this boy? I know eleven year olds are old enough to wander off a little, but it wasn’t like this storm was a surprise. Sure it’s intensity was a surprise, as were the tornadoes, but there had been thunderstorm warnings all day. Just a few weeks ago a family was struck by lightning from a storm that seemed to be forming in the distance. The little boy in that case is still in the hospital.

I have to ask, didn’t we learn? Who was in charge of this eleven year old? When his parents dropped him off in the morning didn’t they have the right to assume that someone was going to look out for their child? In all of the destruction this death seems so pointless, so preventable.