One month after an F3 tornado touched down in Goderich, killing one man and leaving a trail of destruction in its wake, things are starting to get back to normal.

The town and surrounding communities have come together to help rebuild, and while the damage in some areas was minor, the heavy work continues in other areas.

The downtown area has been reopened to the public and several businesses have returned after being closed for a lengthy period of time.

Paul Dearlove, who owns Woof N Stuff in Goderich, says "We didn't get let back in until Thursday, so it's only been four days, five days…I think people are anxious to try to support, as much as they can, the people that are open."

But there are still many buildings that are closed, including the courthouse that sits at the center of the downtown square and parts of the surrounding courtyard.

And some business owners say it could still be another two months before they can reopen.

Even as the buildings are restored, the face of the city's downtown has changed significantly, with the loss of nearly all of the trees and greenery.

Goderich Mayor Delbert Shewfelt says "That has really touched a lot of people, so far I think we've had donations marked for trees in excess of $230,000."

Meanwhile residents like Ron Bell and his family are still trying to return to normal, "We were just lucky the damage done to the house was structural damage, but for the time being is still safe to be in."

The family is among the luckier ones. Many residents have been forced out of their homes, which now sit empty.

Still Bell is hopeful, "It's going to take a long time to come back again, [but] it'll come around eventually."

Despite the death of one worker at the Sifto Canada salt mine, it is also back in operation, much to the relief of many employees.

The F3 tornado hit Goderich in August with winds up to 300 kilometres an hour. It damaged several neighbourhoods and left much of the town without power for days.