BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Storm clean up is happening every day and will probably continue for months.
In just a few days Bowling Green residents will mark three months, since a deadly EF-3 tornado tore through their town. Residents and city crews continue cleaning up after the storm daily.
“It’s not as bad right here, but back there you can see there is no roofs,” Trevor Young tells Spectrum News 1.
For several years, Young has worked for Bowling Green Public Works. Each week he loads up and hauls away pieces of homes, belongings and trees piled up along Highway 31 and many other streets criss-crossing Bowling Green.
“Mostly this, just pieces of the houses and stuff and the roofs and trash that people have piled up out of the houses.”
Young is thankful his countryside home wasn’t damaged during the December 10 tornado.
“Yes sir. It do nothing out on my side,” You said.
But the storm cut a devastating path through town. 17 residents died and hundreds of homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed. Driving along the 31 bypass, it’s impossible to miss the path of the tornado. Entire buildings were leveled and many badly damaged homes have been torn down. Blue tarps cover homes with damaged roofs hoping to be saved and other buildings lie in wait for demolition.
Alex Acosta is adding siding and roofs to two homes near 11th and Magnolia Street. On this block alone, you can count a dozen contractor vehicles, excavation equipment and utility trucks.
“That roof right here we already pushed down because the storm tried to pick it up,” Acosta explains.
Across the street from Acosta, utility workers are reconnecting power to homes no longer deemed “unsafe” by city inspectors.
Trevor Young could work around the clock. Months of clean up, repairs and rebuilding lies ahead for Bowling Green.
“We start at 6 o’clock in the morning. We’ll go to 2:30 in the afternoon and this is pretty much all we’ll be doing.”
The U.S. Small Businesses Association has extended its disaster loan application deadline for businesses and non-profits affected by the December 10 Bowling Green tornado. You can find more information here.