On July 3, 1957 a storm that could have been a mini tornado struck the area of Belle Ewart. It was mentioned on the radio at the time that the bulk of the storm occurred between 4:00 and 6:00 pm. The ground was saturated from rain the last two weeks of June 1957. Heavy wind did a great deal of damage. In the back ground of this photo is the Murray Family cottage "Wayne Haven". In the foreground are the upturned roots of an elm tree that was felled during the storm. According to the Murray family, roofs blew off, rowboats were blown into trees, neighbouring cottages of the Grossman Family had all their screens blown out and a garage was blown over. With no phone lines the people of the area lined up at Wark's Store to call fathers and husbands who had returned to work in Toronto. Due to the rain the water level of Lake Simcoe rose so high that it flowed over the break wall, covering lawns and roads.
