About Half of Cleanup Complete After Elkhart, Ind., Storm

(TNS) – About half of the downed tree and brush from last week’s storm has been collected and most has been burned, city officials said Wednesday.

As storm recovery continues, crews will continue hauling trees and brush until cleanup is complete, according to city Director of Communications Corinne Straight.

Violent storms ripped across the region early on July 16, downing trees and cutting power to thousands. The National Weather Service later confirmed an EF-1 tornado with winds up to 90 mph had raked across the city’s south side between Lusher and Hively avenues.

At least nine homes were destroyed and another 12 had major damage, Elkhart County Emergency Management officials said. Another 50 to 60 homes had lesser damage.

No one deaths or injuries were reported.

More many residents, the hard work of cleanup continues.

Assistance for impacted residents is still available, the city said. Residents are encouraged to make requests through the MyElkhart311 app or call 211. English and Spanish options are available.

“We continue to work closely with Elkhart County Emergency Management to coordinate the allocation of resources,” Straight said.

An emergency declaration was issued by officials the day after the storm, freeing state and federal resources, but that declaration expired Wednesday.

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