Neighborhoods flattened by tornado show signs of recovery

SUFFOLK

So much for backyard barbecues. This summer, Woodrow King's patio has become a staging area as contractors work to repair his tornado-damaged home.

That's fine by King, who's happy to see the swift rehabilitation of his house of about seven years. Several neighbors haven't been as fortunate.

Two months after a tornado ripped through Suffolk, the hardest-hit neighborhoods are showing signs of recovery. Wood frames rise up from where houses were obliterated. On any given day, contractors install new siding, replace leaky roofs, and fix up the interiors of lesser-damaged homes.

But as the rebuilding effort moves forward for some, other homeowners worry that repairs could drag on for months, maybe longer.

In sections of Burnetts Mill and Hillpoint Farms, houses with manicured lawns and nary a shingle out of place sit within blocks of boarded-up dwellings.

"You're dealing with contractors that are dealing with too many houses," said Christi Brooks, a Burnetts Mill resident who has yet to move back.

Her living room has exposed insulation, and flooring has been pulled out in many areas. The ceiling in an upstairs bedroom is open to the attic.

On one side of King's Hillpoint Farms cul-de-sac, a house sits empty, awaiting repair. Two nearby lots contain nothing but foundations and some debris. Another neighbor, King said, complains about his contractor's slow pace.

"We've been lucky enough to make progress, more so than other folks," he said.

The city has issued at least 131 tornado-related building permits for single-family dwellings since April 28, said Deputy City Manager Patrick Roberts. Ninety-seven permits covered repairs, while 18 were for demolitions and 16 were for homes being rebuilt.

"It's moving along really well," Roberts said. "A lot of our concerns that we would be dealing with abandoned structures" haven't materialized.

The United Way of South Hampton Roads has raised about $627,000 for tornado victims, said development manager Beth Cross. So far, the organization has written checks to more than 200 families to help with insurance deductibles and other expenses.

Laura Diehl said people are just starting to move back to her street in the Hillpoint Greens section of Hillpoint Farms. Her home sustained more than $100,000 in damage, including a family room wall that was blown out.

Contractors began repairs less than a month ago. Half the house is separated by plastic to keep the dust from spreading.

On a recent weekday,

Diehl pointed to a small sitting area that adjoins her bedroom. The room is now packed with a desk, dollhouse, treadmill and three armchairs facing a television.

"That's where we live," she said.

Downstairs, Diehl's formal dining room is being used for storage, with furniture and knickknacks stacked on top of one another. The widescreen television - her husband's pride and joy - is sitting covered in the kitchen.

They're bound for Georgia once the repairs are done and the house can be sold.

"This house," Diehl said, "is going to be in better shape than when we bought it."

Hattie Brown Garrow, (757) 222-5562, hattie.brown@pilotonline.com