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Marmaduke slowly recovering, cleaning
By Amanda Harris
Sun staff writer
MARMADUKE - It's been two months since an F-3 tornado hit the small Greene County community of Marmaduke. There are signs of life returning to normal, but for some that's still a long way off.
Sporadically spaced piles of debris line residential streets waiting for a ride to the dump. Meanwhile large trucks creep up and down roadways hauling away debris.
Greene County Judge Jesse Dollars is pleased with the progress made in debris removal over the past three weeks.
Crews are working 12-hour shifts six days a week to clean up the mess in and around Marmaduke, he noted.
Approximately 33,000 cubic yards of debris have been hauled away, Dollars noted. He anticipates another 15-20,000 cubic yards will be hauled away before the job is done. He estimated crews will continue debris removal efforts for about over two more weeks.
“It's looking good,” the county judge said, noting the progress is key to getting Marmaduke residents ready to move on.
Many city blocks once filled with houses and mobile homes have been cleared away, rendered empty lots.
A backyard swimming pool is all that remains of one family home.
In some neighborhoods the yards are filled with construction crews working to repair homes still standing and rebuild homes that were destroyed.
For some of those who are rebuilding a mobile home sits near their new home construction site.
Marmaduke Mayor Nileane Drope said she and her staff are continuing to function, “taking care of business everyday as usual.”
So far 17 building permits have been issued without charge, a decision the council made to ease the burden on Marmaduke residents who want to rebuild, Drope explained.
City officials are still waiting on insurance before repairs can be made to the community center.
They're also waiting on a call that will signal the dismantling of a water tower in town.
The water tower, located in the center of town, was damaged in tornado and must be removed. The guide wires are broken, its legs are damaged and there is a large dent in the tank, Drope explained. The tank served as a back-up for the city.
Surrounding the road which leads to the Marmaduke School District campus is corn growing in a field.
On campus a makeshift modular classroom crop developed rapidly as school officials rushed to re-open school after the devastation.
School's out for the summer and repairs continue to various parts of the campus from roof repairs to major building repairs.
As for the business sector, businesses damaged by the tornado have adapted too. They have moved into modular buildings while repairs are made to their permanent structures.
Residents, business leaders and city and school officials seem to drive the desire to return their town to pre-tornado conditions.
“I think we've come along way,” on the road to normalcy, the county judge affirmed.
amandah@jonesborosun.com
Sporadically spaced piles of debris line residential streets waiting for a ride to the dump. Meanwhile large trucks creep up and down roadways hauling away debris.
Greene County Judge Jesse Dollars is pleased with the progress made in debris removal over the past three weeks.
Crews are working 12-hour shifts six days a week to clean up the mess in and around Marmaduke, he noted.
Approximately 33,000 cubic yards of debris have been hauled away, Dollars noted. He anticipates another 15-20,000 cubic yards will be hauled away before the job is done. He estimated crews will continue debris removal efforts for about over two more weeks.
“It's looking good,” the county judge said, noting the progress is key to getting Marmaduke residents ready to move on.
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A backyard swimming pool is all that remains of one family home.
In some neighborhoods the yards are filled with construction crews working to repair homes still standing and rebuild homes that were destroyed.
For some of those who are rebuilding a mobile home sits near their new home construction site.
Marmaduke Mayor Nileane Drope said she and her staff are continuing to function, “taking care of business everyday as usual.”
So far 17 building permits have been issued without charge, a decision the council made to ease the burden on Marmaduke residents who want to rebuild, Drope explained.
City officials are still waiting on insurance before repairs can be made to the community center.
They're also waiting on a call that will signal the dismantling of a water tower in town.
The water tower, located in the center of town, was damaged in tornado and must be removed. The guide wires are broken, its legs are damaged and there is a large dent in the tank, Drope explained. The tank served as a back-up for the city.
Surrounding the road which leads to the Marmaduke School District campus is corn growing in a field.
On campus a makeshift modular classroom crop developed rapidly as school officials rushed to re-open school after the devastation.
School's out for the summer and repairs continue to various parts of the campus from roof repairs to major building repairs.
As for the business sector, businesses damaged by the tornado have adapted too. They have moved into modular buildings while repairs are made to their permanent structures.
Residents, business leaders and city and school officials seem to drive the desire to return their town to pre-tornado conditions.
“I think we've come along way,” on the road to normalcy, the county judge affirmed.
amandah@jonesborosun.com
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