As residents in the southern Ontario community of Angus continue to sift through the devastation caused by a powerful tornado this week, Ontario Provincial Police say close to 20 homes may have to be demolished as a result of the twister.

A total of 102 homes have been temporarily condemned as inspectors and insurance adjusters assess the extent of damage to the buildings.

OPP Const. Kelly Daniels told CP24 that due to the structural instability of several homes, some residences will need to be demolished.

“We are looking at closer to 20 homes that will have to be demolished completely. The rest of the homes are in varying stages of structural ability,” Daniels told CP24 Saturday morning.

“The next stage will be having the engineers say which ones you can go in and which ones you can’t go in.”

Tuesday’s powerful tornado left a path of destruction across the area, shearing off roofs and leaving lawns littered with snapped branches and debris.

Officials say close to 300 residents remain displaced as relief crews work to secure the most damaged homes in the area.

Local community members are offering a helping hand to residents left devastated by the powerful twister.

Members of the Mennonite Disaster Service and more than 40 firefighters from across Simcoe County arrived in Angus on Saturday, working to clean up yards and help insurance adjusters safely enter damaged homes and property.

Police have allowed some residents to briefly return to their homes to retrieve personal belongings, but others have been kept away due to safety concerns.

The OPP say natural gas lines and hydro lines in some of the buildings could pose a risk to retuning residents.

Local shelters have been set up to help house displaced residents. A number of local pharmacies have also volunteered to refill prescriptions for people who may have left their medication inside their homes.

Officials have not given a timeline of when residents will be allowed to return to their homes, but are asking people to be patient as they try to sift through the devastation.

With files from CP24