The number of tornado-damaged homes in Eureka has apparently climbed.
Earlier this week, officials said nearly 80 structures were either damaged or destroyed out of around 300 surveyed. New information from Greenwood County Emergency Management now puts the number of damaged homes at nearly 170.
This means more emphasis on volunteers, which are now needed in force in Eureka after Tuesday night’s tornado.
Greenwood County Emergency Management is looking for up to 200 more volunteers as the city begins residential cleanup. Volunteers are asked to come prepared with gloves, eye protection, work boots and long pants, and they also need to withstand the extreme heat now in place.
KVOE’s Sean Thornton helped the cleanup effort at Eureka Junior-Senior High, which had significant damage to the activity center and football field bleachers.
Volunteers will be needed from 7 am to 7 pm Friday and likely will be needed all next week, although cleanup plans for July 4 are yet to be determined. Volunteers are told to sign in at the Matt Samuels Community Building at 100 North Jefferson and then sign out when they leave.
The City of Eureka also will be hosting a town hall meeting at 7 p.m. Friday at the Matt Samuels Building. It will be for city and county residents who have been impacted by the tornado and will provide an update for cleanup of debris, current needs of the community and will address the long-term plan to get the community back on its feet.
Guidance will be provided on the clean-up process and there will be time to answer and address any concerns from the public.
While the meeting is open to the public, it is primarily for those impacted. A community dinner will follow at 7:30 p.m.
Several state agencies have been involved in the cleanup and recovery from the EF-3 tornado Tuesday night. Lyon County, meanwhile, has had a heavy presence in the Eureka area. Lyon County Emergency Management Coordinator Jarrod Fell and Emporia Fire Chief Jack Tayor have been serving on the incident management team. Taylor has served as an incident commander and a deputy. He says things have gone smoothly from his perspective.
Law enforcement has been visible, with Emporia Police officers and Lyon County deputies on hand. Lyon County Road and Bridge has also responded with seven pieces of heavy equipment. Assistant County Engineer Jim Brull says county officials are planning to stay a while.
The Red Cross shelter and cooling station is still operational at Eureka Methodist Church, 521 North Main.
Community meals are being served at the Samuels Community Building, and pallets of water are available at the community center as well.
Public Information Officer Robin Wunderlich encourages people to donate water and sunscreen to the Samuels Community Center and take clothing donations to the old McDonalds at 1025 East River.
As was the case during the 2016 tornado, a Multi-Agency Resource Center has been set up, this time at Marshall Elementary at 1015 North Jefferson. Nearly 20 local, state and federal agencies will have a presence from 1-8 pm Saturday:
*American Red Cross
*City of Eureka
*Community Linc
*Disabled American Veterans
*Kansas Department of Health and Environment
*CrossWinds Counseling and Wellness
*Eureka Ministerial Alliance
*Great Plains United Methodist Conference
*Kansas Housing Resource Corporation
*Salvation Army
*Small Business Administration
*United Way
*Knights of Columbus
*Mended Heart Ministries
*Office of Veterans Affairs
Additional links from KVOE News
*Click here for information on Wednesday’s tour by Gov. Jeff Colyer and the National Weather Service’s preliminary rating
*Click here for Wednesday’s damage assessment by Eureka and Greenwood County officials
*Click here for Wednesday’s story on how to help the recovery effort
*Click here for Wednesday’s initial story and photos about the Eureka tornado
City of Eureka information map: Resources
City of Eureka map: Trash hauling route
Photos by Sean Thornton/KVOE News
{gallery}Eureka Tornado Cleanup June 28 2018{/gallery}
