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Clayton officials outline recovery plan after EF‑3 tornado, seek FEMA aid
Summary
City officials described a rapid emergency response after an EF‑3 tornado struck May 16, and outlined next steps for cleanup, tree removal, infrastructure repairs and FEMA applications as recovery shifts from response to reconstruction.
Mayor McAndrew and City Manager David Gibson told the Board of Aldermen on May 27 that response teams and mutual‑aid crews cleared streets and reopened schools within days after an EF‑3 tornado hit the City of Clayton on May 16.
Gibson said emergency operations were established immediately and that Mayor McAndrew declared a state of emergency, placing Fire Chief Ernie Rhodes in charge of incident operations for a seven‑day period. "The total figure, it's exceeds 4 and a half million dollars at this point," Gibson said of preliminary damage estimates, and he added that "FEMA actually pays, along with CEMA, 87.5% of those costs" if the event meets federal and county thresholds.
The mayor and staff described the graphic scale of damage and the city's priorities during recovery. "It was a herculean effort by our staff," Mayor McAndrew said, praising firefighters, public works, parks and police for 12‑hour shifts that reopened roadways to emergency vehicles the night of the storm and enabled schools to reopen after missing just one day. City staff…
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