News
Easley surveys damage
He commends TV stations in Triad for alerting residents
ADVERTISEMENT
Published: May 11, 2008
Gov. Mike Easley toured tornado-damaged areas in the Triad yesterday but said that state officials won't know the extent of damages until Monday, when damage-assessment teams deployed to Forsyth, Guilford and Davie counties have finished their work.
Easley surveyed the storm damage by helicopter, then local officials briefed him about the extent of the destruction.
"The first information was that the community was coming together, working well and responding to this event magnificently," Easley said during a news conference at Piedmont Triad Farmers Market in Colfax.
He said that the response was the result of good planning and having equipment that was made available by federal Homeland Security grants. He commended local television stations for doing a good job of alerting people as the storm came through.
One Thursday night tornado started in Davie County and crossed into Forsyth, packing winds of up to 140 mph. A tornado in Guilford County damaged businesses and houses near Sandy Ridge Road and Interstate 40.
Officials said that in Forsyth County, five houses in the Clemmons area were destroyed and 12 severely damaged. Another 49 houses had minor damage.
Most of the damage was along Frye Bridge Road in subdivisions that included Frye Bridge Estates and Bridge Pointe, although some houses were damaged on Cooper Road, too. No one was seriously injured in Forsyth, but several people were treated for minor injuries.
In Guilford County, 39 houses were damaged, along with a gas station, a church and minor damage to the Piedmont Triad Farmers Market. About 20 businesses in an industrial park on the north side of I-40 had varying levels of damage. A man died when the storm flipped over his truck. Three other people were injured. Wind damaged some of the planes at Piedmont Triad International Airport.
In Davie County,the tornado destroyed three homes, including a mobile home. Many other houses were damaged, Easley said.
Of all the houses and buildings that were destroyed, officials said, it appears that only two were not insured.
According to information provided by emergency officials during yesterday's news conference, it appears that individuals and businesses might not be eligible for state and federal aid because the rules specify that 40 percent of damaged structures must be uninsured.
Counties can get public assistance to help with cleanup on public and nonprofit properties, but they have to meet cost thresholds to qualify. Easley said that officials will know more when the damage reports are all in.
All three counties declared a state of emergency Friday after the storms -- Guilford and Davie at 10 a.m. and Forsyth at 3 p.m.
More storms are expected in the region today. The National Weather Service is forecasting that some areas might have more problems than others.
Already rain-soaked ground has led the weather service to issue a flood watch for several northern counties, including Stokes and Rockingham. Patrick and Henry counties in Virginia also are under a flood watch.
In the Winston-Salem area, there is an 80 percent chance of rain, including showers and thunderstorms, according to the weather service. The high temperature is expected to be near 60 degrees.
Meanwhile, in residential areas off Frye Bridge Road yesterday, Forsyth County sSheriff's deputies were guarding streets and letting in only residents and cleanup crews. The main roads were once again passable. Roofing shingles, insulation, framing and peoples' belongings were scattered over a field on the north side of the road.
Dawn Lawson, a supervisor for Paul Davis Restoration, picked through the rubble looking for anything of value belonging to the family of David and Amber Parker, whose house across the street was ripped apart by the storm.
"We found some of his children's clothes, some toys and a lot of debris," she said. "We found Christmas ornaments that he had made as a child. Your heart goes out to these people."
Parker and his wife picked through the ruins of their home as a television crew taped. The Parkers found a lot of family photos. They plan to rebuild on the same site, David Parker said.
Down the road, Red Cross volunteer Tony Allen handed out water and soft drinks to anyone getting thirsty during the cleanup.
"We are out here to serve the people that are affected," he said.
A huge crowd filled the parking lot at the farmers market, but the people weren't there to gawk at downed trees -- a chili cook-off to raise money for charity went on as scheduled. Vendors had produce for sale, although most vendors lost 75 percent to 80 percent of what they had on site when the storm hit, market officials said.
Betsy Cardwell, a co-owner of Windmill Farms, found some of her ferns and other potted plants mixed in among the products of neighboring flower vendors when she went to see the damage Friday.
"This is our busiest weekend -- Mother's Day," Cardwell said.
■ Wesley Young can be reached at 727-7369 or at wyoung
@wsjournal.com
.
■ Journal
reporters Bertrand M. Gutierrez and Fran Daniel contributed to this story.
ADVERTISEMENT
N.C. Politics
Federal Politics
Relish appears Thursdays in the newspaper. If you'd like to explore our relish content online, you can find it under the Entertainment section.
Advertisement
Post a comment
(Requires free registration.)
* Keep it clean
* Respect others
* Don't hate
* Don't use language you wouldn't use with your mom
* Use "Report Inappropriate Comments" link when necessary
* See Member Agreement for details