Benefit to be held for Portage homeowners still recovering from tornado

PORTAGE, Mich. (WOOD) — It has been more than three months since an EF2 tornado devastated several homes and businesses in Portage.

On Thursday night, Bell’s Eccentric Cafe is opening its doors for a benefit concert to support the ongoing relief effort. Bell’s Brewery is partnering with the Sounds of the Zoo festival to bring together three local music groups — all in an effort to support the Kalamazoo Community Foundation’s Community Urgent Relief Fund. The fund is a partnership with the United Way of South Central Michigan.

This space for unity and healing comes as many are still working to clean up.

“It’s been a matter of patience, but now two and a half months later, you can see we’re making progress,” said Stan Massey, Portage resident.

Massey looks out to his neighborhood on Quail Street as contractors work on siding and tarps cover the roofs of some of his neighbors.

He said he’s one of the lucky ones who can stay in their homes after an EF2 tornado tore through sections of portage back in May. Massey showed us where a tree branch broke through his wall. Now, a tarp covers the damage.

“When the tornado got into the back of our house, it blew all the bedroom furniture like it was toys. I had to take a sledgehammer to get in there,” said Massey.

He said clean-up has not been easy for some of his neighbors. Massey said one house with a blue tarp over the roof belongs to a young family who left it to live somewhere else as they wait to on their insurance claim to start their repairs.

Earlier this month, state and local officials began the process of collecting additional information to appeal an earlier rejection for a Disaster Declaration by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

That declaration would open the door for federal funding and resources to support the rebuild.

In the meantime, the Kalamazoo-Portage community is coming together at Bell’s Brewery Eccentric Cafe for the benefit concert Thursday night. Director of Development Cindy Trout said the help with funding is needed.

“People need to find a new place to live and unfortunately, I’ve heard numbers of 90% of those affected were either underinsured or non-insured. And so that’s a huge burden on them to lift,” Trout said.

She said money raised Thursday night will not only help replenished funds to prepare for the next disaster, it will also support ongoing recovery. Trout hopes a night of music will also provide some comfort.

“It’s local beer, its local music, it’s local support,” she said.

Trout says $600,000 has already been granted out to tornado relief by the community foundation.

Music at the fundraising benefit starts at 6:30 p.m. at Bell’s Eccentric Cafe. Concert tickets are $10 and all the money goes toward the Kalamazoo Community Foundation.

Bell’s Brewery says $410 has already been raised in advanced ticket sales and the brewery will donate an additional $2,500 to the foundation.

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