Red Bay family loses the roof over their heads — literally
Winds pounded southern Labrador on Monday, hard enough to tear the entire roof off one Red Bay home, casting it into the harbour.
"It's a lot to take in," said Phil Bridle, who grew up in the home and lives there with his mother.
Bridle was on his way home to Red Bay from Deer Lake when he got the news about the house.
"It lifted off the house and went in once piece into the Strait of Belle Isle, I guess, floating around."
Bridle's brother Chris was in Red Bay at the time his boyhood home was damaged.
"It's gone completely. If you build a house out of Lego blocks and put a roof on it and tear the roof off and leave a square box, that's what you're seeing," said Chris Bridle, who checked on the house after the storm.
"When I came down all I saw sticking up was the chimney. Everything else is flat."
Chris Bridle said the roof "clear blew off."
"It looks to me like it came off in one piece. You could see it out in the water — it was covered over by a little bit of ice."
It's just a bit of wood and plastic and a few nails — it can be put back. - Chris Bridle
The family lost sight of the roof after the area had more wind on Monday night.
"It's hard to describe the feeling," Chris Bridle said.
"It's not my house but it's my boyhood home, so it kind of gives you a sick feeling down in the pit of your stomach for sure."
He said the most important thing is no one was hurt, and they've been able to salvage important mementos for their mother.
"We saved all of her treasures, her pictures of her grandkids and great grandkids. We got all that out so I told her it's just a bit of wood and plastic and a few nails — it can be put back," he said.
Southern Labrador was hit hard by the storm, which caused power outages, school closures and road closures as the snow and intense wind pummeled the coast.
Phil Bridle said he feels lucky that they were not home at the time of the storm, and that no one was injured.
"Some things work out for the best."
Some roads on the south coast of Labrador remain closed and are down to a single lane in many places until they can be widened by snow clearing crews.
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