Officials agree to Lone Grove tornado cleanup

LONE GROVE, Okla. (AP) — Local, state and federal officials have reached an agreement that is expected to speed up the process of recovery from a deadly tornado that ravaged this small south-central Oklahoma town in February.

Carter County commissioners and Lone Grove City Manager Marianne Elfert met with state and federal officials on Friday to determine the county's role in the cleanup effort and how the town will be shielded from incurring any costs. Elfert has said the city lacks the money to cover cleanup expenses.

Federal Emergency Management Agency officials said they would advance the town $90,000 in "public assistance" funds to help pay for debris removal along the roadways, the Daily Ardmoreite reported. They also pledged an additional $90,000 in the future to complete the process, if needed.

Public assistance funds are typically paid on a reimbursement basis and can cover infrastructure repairs and debris removal. FEMA usually pays 75 percent of the costs, the state covers another 12.5 percent and the participating county or municipality is expected to pay the rest.

This past Monday, crews began cleaning up piles of debris that had been accumulating in the wake of the Feb. 10 tornado, which killed eight people. Some of the downed tree limbs were cut for firewood, and other limbs were ground into wood chips.

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