Damage-assessment teams have determined approximately 1,002 residential structures were damaged from the twister that swept through the city and county Wednesday.
Howard County EMA Director Janice Hart said around 81 structures are considered totally destroyed, and another 173 sustained major damage.
The largest concentration of damage occurred near the intersection of Indiana 931 and Indiana 22, which includes the Cedar Crest neighborhood, as well as the Starbucks that was flattened.
Hart said four teams scoured the city and county Thursday and Friday to determine the full extent of the destruction left in the wake of the tornado, but the monetary value of the damage has yet to be determined.
She said FEMA officials will conduct their own assessment of the damage, but it was unknown Friday when they will arrive in the city and county to begin surveying the area.
“Hopefully it’s sooner than later,” she said.
Hart said on-the-ground reports indicate Wednesday’s tornado took a nearly identical path as the twister that hit the city in November 2013, which caused roughly the same amount of damage as this week’s storm.
In 2013, an assessment showed that around 1,000 homes sustained damage. Out of those, 191 sustained major damage or were completely destroyed.
Hart said the most recent storm travelled just slightly north from the 2013 twister, but both caused severe damage at Garden Square Apartments and the Cedar Crest neighborhood.
“It’s really heart wrenching that we’ve got to start over and do this all again,” she said.
It is unknown whether FEMA will grant disaster relief for tornado victims. However, the department in 2013 denied the county any federal aid despite state officials estimating the city could require $4.54 million in direct federal aid and more than $10.5 million in disaster assistance loans.
As the ongoing assessment continues, the injury count has remained steady at 15 to 20 people with minor injuries. Most of the injuries were the result of flying debris. There are no reported deaths.
Around 140 people remained living in the emergency shelter set up by the Red Cross at the Kokomo Event Center. That was down from around 220 on Thursday.
Officials said people had been leaving the shelter at a steady pace, either finding alternative places to stay or returning home as power was restored.
Red Cross officials reported the shelter served more than 540 meals in the last three days, as well as 1,080 snacks.
Although some people have found shelter, Duchess Adjei, regional communication director for the American Red Cross, said the situation in the city remains “significant.”
“People need help right now,” she said. “And our help is just beginning. We will be there to help people recover in the weeks and months to come. We ask people to please consider making a financial donation to the Red Cross today to support the people of Kokomo.”