SMITH ISLAND (AP) — The aftermath of the tornado that struck Smith Island is still visible two months after it carved a destructive path through the sparsely populated Chesapeake Bay archipelago.
The EF1 tornado began as a waterspout that continued on land, damaged a number of piers and homes despite not seriously injuring any residents. With winds of 73-112 mph, the most severe damage was to power lines.
What took the owners of Island Time years to build and perfect stood in a completed state only briefly.
Efforts by local organizations like Smith Island United have been at the forefront of rebuilding efforts. The Smith Island United Committee for Tornado Relief also met in mid-September to discuss the first round of checks to be issued to uninsured tornado damage claimants.
These first round of checks, approved in unanimous votes and distributed within 10 days, total approximately $34,000 that will take care of approximately 50% of claims submitted, according to the group’s social media post.
That left 13 claimants that have insurance. Most of the insured claimants had significant damage with some property being totally destroyed. Delays are due to getting all the necessary information from the insurance companies.
Much-needed road repairs on the island were also addressed by Smith Island United in a social media post on Sept. 30. Somerset County Roads Director Woody Barnes noted Sept. 6, at the regularly scheduled Somerset County Roads Board, the bids for Smith Island Roads projects were opened with two contractors submitting bids.
DSM Properties LLC of Randallstown, Maryland, was the low bidder, submitting a bid of $1,870,962, which was $620,962 over the fiscal 2023 budgeted amount of $1,250,000. The county had received a $1,000,000 from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
That shortfall prompted the county to consider the possibility obtaining additional grant funds. But the decision was made to request the funds from the county itself. A special session of the Roads Board included a recommendation to fund the shortfall and award the contract to DSM Properties, without deviation from the original scope work.
According to the board, the proposed work addresses the current conditions of daily tide influences and deteriorating roads with emphasizes made for potential rising sea levels in the future.
“We are excited to get work on this project, and have already begun to do so. Following Tuesday’s approval, I met with the contractor and they have already begun work, submitting material products and specifications for our approval and working on a logistic plan,” Barnes said to Smith Island United in correspondence.
