Life slowly returning to normal in West Liberty

WEST LIBERTY Melissa Stacy walked into the Morgan County clerk's office Friday and transferred ownership of a 2000 Ford Explorer.

That wouldn't be a big deal in normal times, but times haven't been normal in West Liberty since a powerful tornado blasted through the county and city March 2.

The tornado killed six people and injured others in the county, but it also ripped a hole in the fabric of everyday life, destroying, damaging or disrupting businesses, government offices and schools.

Two weeks after the tornado, however, the town is working hard to recover, and services are being restored, residents said Friday.

Some businesses have reopened in their original locations after repairs, while others have found new spaces. One bank, for instance, set up shop in an old grocery store, local officials said.

The post office is in a mobile unit that looks like a concession stand in the parking lot at the IGA, and the health department is in an old bowling alley, according to a list provided by Irene Jenkins, the county emergency manager.

City offices and the police department are open in mobile homes in the parking lot behind the heavily damaged buildings where they used to be.

County offices are scattered among different locations, including the office of a coal company outside town that had closed. Some are in mobile homes, including the office of County Clerk Roger Williams, which reopened Thursday.

"There's a lot of progress," Stacy said.

Jim Ison, who drives through West Liberty frequently on his job as a quality-standards inspector for Kentucky Housing Corp., said he sees a steady decrease in the piles of bricks, splintered wood and other debris.

Visit link:
Life slowly returning to normal in West Liberty