On Friday afternoon, March 3, Leonard and Hazel Tucker returned home from work to find significant damage to their home.
“We were pretty close to being home when it happened,” said Leonard. “That’s the scary part.”
[Northern Peninsula, Southern Labrador dig out after major storm]
An avalanche had hit sometime between noon and 3 p.m. Leonard suspects freezing rain in recent weeks, followed by the large snowstorm that struck the Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland over the weekend, created the conditions for the avalanche. Because the snow fell onto ice, it became easily dislodged from the force of the winds.
It slid off the hill behind their home and onto the buildiing.
The Tuckers had received a call from a neighbour advising them that their house on Johnson’s Road was full of snow and their vehicle had been pushed up alongside the house. When the couple arrived home, they found their jeep had been spun completely around and had struck the house, tearing siding off in the process. Rear damage to the jeep has caused it to be written off.
The avalanche of snow burst through a garage door and the front door of their home.
It took them three hours to clear the snow from the front door.
“It was right to the top of the door,” said Leonard.
On Friday afternoon, March 3, Leonard and Hazel Tucker returned home from work to find significant damage to their home.
“We were pretty close to being home when it happened,” said Leonard. “That’s the scary part.”
[Northern Peninsula, Southern Labrador dig out after major storm]
An avalanche had hit sometime between noon and 3 p.m. Leonard suspects freezing rain in recent weeks, followed by the large snowstorm that struck the Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland over the weekend, created the conditions for the avalanche. Because the snow fell onto ice, it became easily dislodged from the force of the winds.
It slid off the hill behind their home and onto the buildiing.
The Tuckers had received a call from a neighbour advising them that their house on Johnson’s Road was full of snow and their vehicle had been pushed up alongside the house. When the couple arrived home, they found their jeep had been spun completely around and had struck the house, tearing siding off in the process. Rear damage to the jeep has caused it to be written off.
The avalanche of snow burst through a garage door and the front door of their home.
It took them three hours to clear the snow from the front door.
“It was right to the top of the door,” said Leonard.
Inside the Tuckers’ house there was significant water damage. They’ve made temporary repairs to the front door but it will have to be replaced.
The Tuckers say the insurance company would cover the damage to the jeep, but not to the house.
As of March 7, the area hasn’t yet been cleared away and the family will have to hire heavy equipment to remove it.
This is the second avalanche the Tuckers have experienced since purchasing the house. The previous one in February 2014 one buried their jeep completely, but there were no damages.
With the amount of snow that fell on Saturday and Sunday, Leonard is concerned there could be another avalanche.
“There’s more [snow] up there now than there was the other day,” he said. “If it lets go now, we’re gone. The house and all would be gone.
“It’s scary.”
