Beavercreek maps tornado’s 14-square-mile ‘path of destruction’

It’s not clear how long it will take to clean up Beavercreek neighborhoods that were struck by the Memorial Day tornado, but city officials are getting a better idea of the magnitude of the destruction the storm left behind.

Today, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is expected to tour the Beavercreek area and review damages as part of the process for determining how much federal aid and resources should be distributed to those affected by the tornado.

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“This is a process, and we are in it for the long run,” City Manager Pete Landrum said.

The EF 3 tornado that struck shortly after 11 p.m. May 27 left a 14-square-mile “path of destruction” through the city and township, city officials said.

The city on Tuesday released a map showing where homes and businesses were struck and the extent of damage to the structures. The Facebook post includes a key indicating what level of damage the home or business sustained.

Overall in Beavercreek Twp., which includes the city, 44 buildings were destroyed, 164 sustained major damages, 346 sustained minor damages and 595 were affected by the storm, according to the Greene County Emergency Management Agency.

Major damages could include a lifted roof, or collapsed or bulging foundation, while minor damages could mean broken windows to large areas of siding or roofing loss.

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Resources continue to be dedicated to Beavercreek clean-up efforts. Among the hardest hit residential areas include Spicer Heights and homes around Gardenview Drive.

“Although the Gardenview and Spicer Heights areas received most of the attention due to the severity and number of homes destroyed, the damage continues east on both sides of Kemp Road,” Landrum said.

The city’s contractor, Bunyan/Tree Care Inc., is out daily with eight trucks with long crane arms. Beavercreek’s 16 public service trucks as well as an additional 45 trucks from other cities have been deployed, and trucks from the Ohio Department of Transportation will be assisting with debris removal soon, according to Landrum.

“Even with this much help, the volume of organic/yard debris is enormous and will not disappear overnight,” Landrum said. “We have cleared a street and by the time the guys look back where they started, it was already completely filled again.”

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The city is not picking up construction debris or mixed debris.

Yard debris can be hauled to the Greene County Environmental Services Recycling Complex, 2145 Greene Way Blvd. in Xenia. Construction debris can be hauled to Xenia Demolition Landfill, 610 Dayton-Xenia Road, or to the Montgomery County Transfer Facility, 1001 Encrete Lane, Moraine.

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