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BAMBERG, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - Nine days after an EF-2 tornado destroyed businesses, historical buildings and homes in Bamberg, the City Council voted to declare the downtown area a disaster.

Brick by brick, the city is picking up the pieces after last week’s storm.

Leaders say the vote to declare a state of emergency is the first step toward revitalization.

If you take a drive to downtown Bamberg, you’ll see road-closed signs and bricks on the ground.

South Carolina Department of Transportation brought in about eight dump trucks Thursday morning for the removal of debris and bricks, but officials say the road and the affected downtown area will remain closed until damaged structures have been removed or repaired.

“I think a fallen building is an emergency and you got bricks all over the street is an emergency,” said Mayor Nancy Foster.

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In a little more than a week, Bamberg has seen the community and multiple different cities across the state come together to help out.

“It’s been wonderful to know that people care. We’ve had people from Newbury helping and Orangeburg is helping,” she said.

The decision to declare a disaster came to speed up the process of getting things cleaned up.

Corey Ramsey, city council member, said: “When issues like this happen if we don’t do ordinances right away, it could be months before we see revitalization or something to address what has happened in downtown and even outside of our downtown.”

When it comes to getting money from FEMA, they are still working to meet requirements to be eligible for funding.

“There are certain things that have to go into play before we are able to be qualified for certain funds and certain resources. So we need individuals to make sure that they put in those claims,” said Ramsey.

In the meantime, they say if anyone in the city has damage, to call city hall to report it.

Bamberg County Council has also called a special meeting on Jan. 22 to vote on a county emergency ordinance.

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BAMBERG, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - As cleanup from Tuesday’s tornado continues, there are stories of hope and inspiration.

Ellen Inabinet was outside cleaning up part of the mess in her yard Friday.

She’s thankful, though.

“It had to be God to save me, to save my life,” she said. “Never mind the materialistic part of it. God saw fit to make me safe until it was over.”

She walked us through the damage to her house, including broken windows and shingles.

She wasn’t even inside during the storm; she was in her car.

“Right here, and she said to me, ‘Move,’ and I said, ‘I can’t move. I can’t move. What do you want me to do?’ She said, ‘Mommy, you can’t stay there,’ and she ran and jumped in the other car. And I was sitting there like this with the motor running,” and that’s when a tree came down, barely missing her.

“It had to be the grace of God,” she said. “And again, I’m very thankful to be alive.”

She and so many others are holding each other close these days.

“The 20 years I’ve been here, this is the closest Bamberg County has really reached out to each other,” she said.

People stop by to help remove the debris.

“I see things in a whole different light now,” she said.

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The Red Cross has been in town, and is ready to offer help if there’s a second round of severe weather.

Also assisting has been a South Carolina Baptist Convention disaster relief group.

Dan Fogle, pastor at a Rosemary Baptist Church in Williston, is leading the local group, which spent all of Thursday running chainsaws and working to clear trees from residents’ homes and yards.

They will be back out on Saturday to continue providing this service as a mission to the community.

“The team is very passionate about helping others, especially our neighbors,” Marti Dickman said.

Two of the team members, including Fogle, had total knee replacement surgery and are still in the recovery phase but are out running chainsaws and moving tree debris to help others.

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BAMBERG, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - The state has approved the cleanup of downtown Bamberg, more than a week after a building collapsed in a tornado, spilling bricks into the street.

The South Carolina Department of Transportation said cleanup can begin, so the bricks will be removed starting Thursday.

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An emergency meeting was set Thursday night for the Bamberg City Council to declare an emergency.

Officials have no estimate yet on how much the cleanup will cost. But state officials are working with local leaders to determine whether federal assistance is available.

The storm on Jan. 9 tore through Bamberg, damaging up to 30 businesses and 20 homes, including destroying the historic downtown building as well as a house.

Residents have been busy since the EF-2 twister touched down – something that was captured in a dramatic video but not on most radar systems.

The cleanup continues, accompanied by the roar of chainsaws and leaf blowers.

Residents vow the city will come back stronger than ever.

And business owners are just as determined, including the owners of storm-damaged family-style restaurant Rusty N’ Paula’s.

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It’s important because “I feel like Rusty N’ Paula’s is the heart of Bamberg,” said owner Paula Dyches.

It’s a work in progress at Rusty N’ Paula’s. And getting a new roof is just a start.

“We have people working outside working hard to get a rood put in,” said Dyches. “As you see in the kitchen, just got some water damage. We got the roof covered. It’s not too bad. We can’t see because they don’t have lights but everything’s looking good.”

Believe it or not, Dyches was already working to renovate the place.

“We repainted, we put in new walls, we added a wall. And then, all of a sudden, a tornado come through. So we’re starting over again. But, you know, we aren’t giving up,” she said.

The only way in Dyches’ world is to keep on going.

“Like I tell everybody, it’s gonna get bigger and better,” she said.

Also confident in a rebound is Harry Talmage, whose livelihood is buying overlooked buildings and fixing them up.

His latest project was destroyed in the storm.

He’s undeterred, though.

“I’m gonna stick with Bamberg,” said Talmage.

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BAMBERG, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - After surveying damage from the day before, National Weather Service officials said Wednesday they determined a tornado caused the devastation that’s closed downtown Bamberg.

Tuesday’s storm has a preliminary rating of 2 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale that measures such storms.

The tornado had maximum speeds of 125 mph and a path that was 300 to 400 yards wide, officials said during a news conference Wednesday afternoon.

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These ratings for the tornado are preliminary, based on the pattern and extent of the damage.

The tornado touched down about 2:45 p.m. Tuesday near the South Carolina Oak 2 Barrel factory, where it caused the worst damage, destroying a portion of the building.

“About 2:40, wind started picking up, getting more and more steady,” said David Hutto, a manager at the factory. “I walked out of the office, walked into our front room and seen the roof of the building across the street blow off.”

The glass started shattering in the barrel company’s windows, so Hutto went to the back of the room and ducked into the corner.

“Not many things in life scare me,” he said, but “it was the scariest thing, one of the scariest things I’ve ever done.”

From there, the tornado headed for downtown Bamberg, where a brick building collapsed into the street – something that was captured in a dramatic video. At least four buildings downtown received major damage.

State emergency management crews were on the ground in Bamberg on Wednesday, helping local officials rate the damage so they can determine what kind of federal assistance is needed.

Officials said the storm knocked over about 80 trees.

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About 100 electric customers remained without power Wednesday afternoon, and officials expected to reduce that to 50 by the end of the day.

Water and wastewater infrastructure wasn’t damaged by the storm, officials said.

Thirteen roads remained closed Wednesday afternoon, largely because power lines had fallen across them, officials said.

Because of power outages and debris on the roads, students will finish out the week with e-learning instead of coming to school. There’s no class Monday due to the Martin Luther King holiday, then students will return to schools Tuesday.

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BAMBERG, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - Two weeks after the Federal Emergency Management Agency paid a visit to Bamberg due to a tornado’s destruction, Bamberg is getting an update.

According to the city of Bamberg, the city did not meet the FEMA threshold.

They say they are now searching for other options.

FEMA representatives were there Jan. 24 to view the damage caused by the Jan. 9 tornado.

The twister rated a 2 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale that measures tornadoes, and it caused the collapse of a historic downtown building – something that was captured in a dramatic video.

The FEMA visit came just days after city and county leaders declared a disaster.

Crews still have a ways to go before the town is cleaned up.

FEMA is still working to assess damage, but one neighbor says the recovery efforts give her a new hope

“I love where I’m at. Bamberg County is the place to be,” Ellen Inabinet said.

But it’s a place that’s badly damaged.

“Prayer has been the key answer to this thing here, what we’re going through,” she said. “I’m just grateful to be here to tell the story.”

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The storm caused a tree to fall on her house, barely missing her.

We first spoke to her soon after the storm, but she still had a positive attitude Wednesday.

“Things are really starting to come aboard at this time,” she said. “A little better for me. And hopefully for my county. Most important is for them.”

Brick by brick, Bamberg is slowly rebuilding.

Only time will tell how money can help rebuild all of ity.

And federal funding could play a role in that.

“Yes, we are going to get some help,” Inabinet said. “Somebody cares. That shows me that FEMA and the County of Bamberg cares that we’re going to receive some assistance. It’s much-needed.”

For her, it’ll take nearly $8,200 to get back to normal

“It’s an expense, but hopefully I’ll get assistance to assist me with the rest,” she said.

She still has a ways to go, but it’s no problem for her.

“I’m grateful to be here and I thank God for everything,” she said.

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