Mayfield: Even though his birthday is still a few more days, the 60-year-old Harley Kelso knows what he gets from his sister.
The driver retired truck, the house and his car was hit by a tornado last week – one of the dozens of southern torn and Midwest, killed at least 90 people – said his sister brought a chain and two of his sons to his house hard.
Mayfield to cut trees that rely on the family’s minivan.
“I lost my car and the corner of my terrace,” Kelso said, wearing a shirt that reads the greatest Papa in the world.
“I’m glad everyone in the neighborhood survives.” Thankfully like that might sound strange after a long track tornado that destroyed most of Mayfield, but it used to refrain from these days in this 10,000-person community.
Even with the tangled minivan under a giant tree, most of the front pages depend on its roots, destroy windows and houses without power or running water, Kelso said he was very aware that things could be worse – and firmly if not really optimistic about task in front.
“I will bring a hot breakfast for my daughter,” he said with a smile, gripping a bag of breakfast tacos down by one of the dozens of volunteers combing the environment, offering hot food or cold drinks.
President Joe Biden, who visited the Community Wednesday and described the damage because some of the worst he saw, vowed full support from the federal government to help the city rebuild.
“I intend to do whatever is needed as long as it is to support your country, your local leaders, when you recover and rebuild, and you will recover and rebuild,” said the President, standing in front of the city center which was destroyed.
Among the biggest and most urgent challenges facing Mayfield and the other destroyed society was releasing the debris mountains so that the storm turned home and business, said Kentucky emergency management director Michael Dossett.
“This will be one of the biggest recovery,” said Dossett on Thursday during a press conference in the state of Capitol in Frankfort.
“Removal of debris is one of the most important works because it is a part and package to rebuild not only city infrastructure, but for all our homeowners.” In the neighborhood throughout the city, yards and the streets are filled with debris: falling tree legs, herpes zoster, children’s toys are crushed, muddy clothes.
Trees that have not been removed fully have top branches shaved.
Others fall into a car or home.
Many houses have a torn roof or withdrawn from their foundation.
The others have been reduced to no more than a pile of large bricks, isolation and wood divided.
In the city center, the heavy equipment operator roanged through the task back and forth to clean up the pile of debris that covered the entire block.
At what the steam cleaning business was used to, volunteers filtered a pile of debris to save what they could.
Some steam cleaners stand on the stack.
Damage and destruction in Mayfield are very severe so that it can take years before the community returns to normal, said Chris Chiles, the disaster response coordinator for Danville, the Pit Allah crew based in Virginia, who has helped the people being hit by a storm for more than that.
Two decades.
“There is a lot of work to do,” Chiles said.
“I’ve done this for 14 years throughout the country, and it’s hard to be much worse than this.” This will take a long time.
Years of neighbors do not know each other and things like this bring people together, “he said.
Still, not everyone is ready to rebuild.
Chris Eigenrauch, whose house is among those who are severe storms, the prospect of returning to rebuilding the entire community Scary.
He said he considered moving to the neighbor of Illinois, where some relatives lived.
“It will take months, if it’s not for years,” he said.
“I only planned to leave.
For people who live, I hope God helps them rebuild.
“Kelso, who works 20 hours a week as a short cook, isn’t sure how long to get his house back to normal, especially the community is destroyed.
But his confidence is unshakable.” This is a difficult community, “he said.” We will unite.
“