Pocono News Section

Tornado Cleanup Begins in Monroe County

Tornado Cleanup Begins in Monroe County - Thursday, July 30, 2009 at 5:50PM EST

Reported by: Laurie Monteforte
Thursday, Jul 30, 2009 @ 05:50pm EST
STROUD TOWNSHIP, MONROE COUNTY - Hundreds of people spent the day cleaning up the mess in the Poconos. From utility workers and emergency personnel, to friends and neighbors, all sorts of folks chipped in.

The Stroudsmoor Country Inn was one of the hardest hit places. Just about every Stroudsmoor staff member became part of the maintenance crew Thursday. Inn Owner Andy Forte explained, "Chefs, accountants, hostesses, all out here raking the grounds today."

Andy and his family own the property. He was on vacation out of state when the tornado slammed into the property. He said, "My family and I raced home."

When they got back they saw massive destruction. Wind threw a roof of of one office building and ruined several other roofs. The Inn also lost a lot of trees. Forte explained, "At last count we probably have 60 or 70 good sized trees down."

Forte said he's glad no people were hurt. He said, "We could always plant new trees - we could always put a new roof on a building."

He also learned how good people in his community can be. Forte explained, "Since the storm occurred I have received no less than 200 offers for help."

Another hotel put up his customers. The electric company restored power four days earlier than expected. Volunteers rushed to clear trees off the road so it opened days before anyone thought possible. "It's humbling and it restores your faith in humanity," said Forte.

The tornado also hit many private homes. Kevin Transue said, "It was quite amazing. never seen anything like it before in my life."

Transue volunteered to help a friend clean up after the storm. He explained some of the damage; "There was a tree actually fell on top of the house. There were two cars in the driveway both of which were damaged really bad."

Even with extra hands helping, it could take weeks or even months before all the damage is picked up.

Stroudsmoor Country Inn and its restaurant will reopen Friday. The manager said all weekend events will continue as planned.