Has The City Of Sulphur’s Tornado Clean-Up Effort Stalled?
It has been over a year since a devastating tornado hit the heart of our beloved town.
So where are we now? How did we get here? What is currently happening? Why is it taking so long?
These are all questions that are currently being raised not only locally but on several social media outlets.
According to the Murray CountyAssessor records, approximately 68 businesses were either heavily damaged or destroyed in the April 27, 2024 storm.
While several are already in the process of rebuilding (Bromide, The Mix, Snak Shak East, Dearman Funeral Home, Stone Creek Liquor) and some have already cleared the debris from their property, some places have not been cleared or cleaned. Some have begun the process but progress has either slowed or stopped completely, while others haven’t even begun to clean up.
Many say the process is slow because of insurance and/ or waiting on FEMA. Most of those insured have settled claims and received payments or are in negotiations.
Driving along Rock Creek on Woodruff Blvd., debris piles as well as sheet metal can still be seen in the trees.
A recent open records’ request from the City of Sulphur concerning State/FEMA and Insurance Funds received to date revealed the City of Sulphur has received more than $900,000.00 in insurance and FEMA money combined. Some of the FEMA funds went to pay for debris removal, yet piles of debris are still visible in town.
According to Historical Preservation Committee Chairman Neil Mayo, structural engineers contracted through the Department of Interior recently visited several downtown locations to determine stabilization of the locations.
The locations inspected included the Schwake Theater, Flower Bluff Manor, The Hassen Building and Fant Buildings (old bank building), all located on Muskogee Street in the historic downtown area. Findings determined that cost would be approximately $2 million to stabilize the four structures. Mayo said grants are currently being sought to pay for the stabilization.
An east side residential area of town was also hit hard by the tornado with many, many homes being severely damaged or totally destroyed.
Clean-up in this area is continuing to make progress with many lots cleared, homes repaired and some totally replaced.
