Tornado damage cleanup efforts wrapping up in Windham

More than a week after a tornado ripped through a section of Windham Township, Portage County officials are preparing to turn over rehabilitation and tree clearing to homeowners.

Ryan Shackelford, director of the Portage County Emergency Management Agency, said the Red Cross has offered temporary housing to nine affected homeowners. Most of them, he said, turned down the help because they're staying with relatives.

The EMA is charged with addressing issues related to housing, rehabilitation, debris management and fundraising related to the April 17 twister. Of the nine affected homes, Shackelford said five have been condemned by the Portage County Building Department, with residents unable to go inside to retrieve belongings because of safety issues.

Most of the debris has been moved to a storage site in the village, and spring clean up in the village is this week. Tree debris, he said, will be taken to the Portage County Solid Waste Management District for mulching, he said.

A group from the Southern Baptist Church that has been helping clear trees is wrapping up its work.

The Portage Foundation, Shackelford said, is continuing to raise money to help residents with expenses not covered by insurance.

"It's not as much as we'd like, but whatever we raise will be turned over to the homeowners," he said.

Reporter Diane Smith can be reached at 330-298-1139 or dsmith@recordpub.com.

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Tornado cleanup efforts wrapping up in Windham, Ohio