BIG STONE GAP, Va. – George Polly has been a busy man lately.
Polly, Big Stone Gap’s town manager, is working to help the town recover from the powerful EF-1 twister that caused close to $3 million in damage to homes and property in the Wise County town a little more than two weeks ago.
Polly and town crews have been working almost nonstop since the tornado struck. Large trees toppled onto roofs, leaving their exposed roots jutting out of the ground, and homes were demolished. A debris trail left behind charted the tornado’s path.
More than 100 truckloads of debris have been hauled to the county landfill but numerous trees remain and must be eventually cut up and removed from town land and private property.
In addition to tending to the town’s needs, Polly also is dealing with his own damaged house. Work on the damaged roof is under way, and he hopes home life is back to normal soon.
"I’d say 90 percent of the debris [in town] has been cleaned up," Polly said Friday. "Most of the tree debris has been cleaned off streets."
He said most of the trees uprooted at the town’s Bullitt Park have been cleared and hauled away but more damage occurred at the park.
"We’ve got some concerns with Bullitt Park," Polly said. "The lights at the football field were damaged. I’m in the process of checking the rest of the lights to make sure they are secure."
Polly said a park picnic shelter was damaged heavily and remains closed because of safety concerns.
"I think that for the most part we’re doing pretty good," he said. "It seems like most of the property owners seem to be progressing and getting their homes repaired."
Virginia emergency management officials report that six houses were destroyed, 15 have major damage and 25 have moderate damage.
Polly said one home damaged beyond repair was demolished and the debris hauled away last week. Others likely will follow.
Razing the damaged structures is easier than hauling away the remains, he said. The landfill is 45 minutes away, and it takes several truck loads to haul away a home.
"We’re not through with cleanup but some of the people have their roofs repaired and others have their roofs secured so there is no leaking," Polly said. "Four of the homes were reroofed last week."
Insurance companies seem to be processing homeowner claims quickly, he said, adding that repairs to his home already have been authorized as well.
The town manager estimates that many of the damaged homes have repair bills totaling between $50,000 to $100,000 each.
"It’s looking a whole lot better around town now than it was a week ago," Polly said.
kstill@bristolnews.com | (276) 679-1338
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