More than 1,000 structures damaged by tornado, Guilford County Emergency Services says

April 18--GREENSBORO -- Guilford County crews now know that the EF2 tornado that struck Sunday afternoon left a nearly 1,000-foot-wide path of destruction on the city's east side that stretched 16 miles.

"It went across another 17 miles in Rockingham County and so it was a large tornado," said Don Campbell, the director of Guilford County Emergency Management. "That's uncharacteristic for North Carolina."

On Monday and Tuesday, teams went door to door to identify the damage in the tornado's path. They found 1,007 structures, from single-family houses to businesses, that suffered varying degrees of damage.

The numbers paint a painful picture of the destruction:

* 37 homes or businesses no longer inhabitable.

* 162 buildings with

* major

* damage, such as a missing wall or hole in the roof that can be repaired.

* 312 structures with easily repaired minor damage.

* 484 houses with minor cosmetic damage, such as a missing shingle or siding.

* 12 buildings still inaccessible because of downed trees or power lines.

Now emergency officials are working with state and federal agencies to see if residents qualify for government assistance, such as grants or low-interest loans. Campbell said that could potentially help people rebuild or fill in insurance gaps.

He doesn't expect an answer from those agencies for another 48 to 72 hours. Once he knows what assistance is available, workers will go door to door to pass out flyers and send media notices with information. He said residents need to continue registering with the city for help with their immediate needs and if a need has not been met to let the city know by calling 336-373-2489.

Campbell said officials are also trying to learn if they qualify for financial assistance to cover the response to the tornado.

Response teams -- everyone from police and fire to road and water crews -- used all their resources to respond to the storm. Neighboring counties also sent people and equipment to help workers go through the damaged area and identify what problems the city faced.

"There are federal and state programs to assist the government agencies," Campbell said. "We're assessing with the state to see if we meet that, but every indication is that most of us have the overtime budgets and ability to maintain this, at least at the initial standpoint."

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