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Gaylord Making Progress on Clean-Up Efforts One Week After Tornado

It’s been one week since an EF-3 tornado hit Gaylord, destroying many homes and businesses in its path, and the city is still making progress on getting back to normal.

Gaylord Department of Public Works employees are still cleaning up remains of several businesses on Main Street, and help is being offered to those that have been affected. The city has taken control of all clean-up efforts, starting immediately on Saturday, and are now in the process of wrapping up debris management.

38 businesses were believed to be destroyed, but unemployment is also being offered to those in need while their businesses are still closed. Supply chain issues will affect the recovery rate for the city, but efforts are being put in place to get things back on track.

“We have worked with Michigan Works and the state to make sure that these people can get un-employment, if they’re affected, but other businesses that are opening their doors up to have them come work for them while they’re displaced at their business. So the process is moving forward, we’re just worried about anyone falling through the cracks right now,” said Jon Deming, Emergency Manager for Otsego County. “We had 38 businesses affected, and we don’t think we missed anybody, but there’s always a possibility if they didn’t get in contact, they can contact emergency management, we’ll take care of them and get in contact with the SBA, I believe we are going to qualify for SBA, but that’s going to take a little while to figure it out, the numbers are looking, trending towards that way to having SBA loans available for businesses.”

The city hopes that by next year, things will get back to normal.

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