Why money alone won’t rebuild Ringle after the tornado
Officials say 143 homes were impacted as insurance delays, housing needs and cleanup logistics shape the next stage of recovery
One thing became clear from Monday night’s meeting in the town of Ringle, attended only by The Wausonian and a TV station reporter:
Disaster relief is as much a coordination problem as it is a money problem.
Numerous agencies have been collecting money for disaster relief after a tornado struck the town of Ringle. The Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin garnered $180,000 itself, and that didn’t count the weekend donations yet.
And that’s only part of the effort, with numerous fundraising efforts taking place since the tornado struck on April 17.
Money is only part of the problem. The Community Foundation in partnership with the Town of Ringle Board held a joint meeting Monday. Tim Parker, president and CEO of the foundation, led an effort to coordinate the needs/abilities of various organizations, town officials, contractors and residents in the town.
But that’s only part of the story in Ringle. Homeowners shared devastating details. Contractors talked about insurance companies who have yet to even visit some of the damaged or destroyed homes, delaying any cleanup action, and how so much help poured into the town that it nearly brought cleanup efforts to a halt.
Here is everything The Wausonian learned on Monday evening about the Ringle tornado:
A total of 143 homes were impacted by the tornado. Of those, eight were completely destroyed, 30 were described as having major damage, 68 had minor damage (such as part of a roof destroyed), and 31 were affected beyond that.
Volunteers through area churches averaged 300-400 meals per day for impacted Ringle residents. Many were prepared by members of the church, who got to work in the kitchen to make sure residents were fed.
Subscribers can read the full breakdown below, including insurance delays, school reopening plans, resident testimony and how officials had to turn away volunteers.
