I first visited Goderich when I was 16 on a family holiday to visit my uncle. I fell in love with it and remember it being the first holiday when I had to hold back the tears as I left. Goderich is hailed as the prettiest town in Canada, the sunsets are stunning, architecture beautiful, has gorgeous views of Lake Huron and is green and leafy. Since then I have visited my family there many times and have fond memories.

I was shocked today when I received photos that my uncle had taken. At first I wasn’t sure what had caused the devastation, but it transpires that a tornado hit the centre of Goderich on Sunday. The tornado lasted around 10 minutes but the damage it caused is tremendous. People have lost homes and businesses and there are no trees left around the historic town square.

The bank

Treeless roads

This is my uncle’s old house, where we stayed on our holidays.

My uncle’s workplace.

My heart goes out to the residents of Goderich, how awful it must be to have your home town destroyed over night, like tearing down your memories. It has been on my mind all day, so strange when this happens in a place you know well.