Tornado Response:
We are very grateful that no one was seriously injured in Saturday's tornado. We thank the first responders (the Fire and Police Departments, Webster EMS, Building Commissioner, and Health Director) that rushed to the scene to take control and make the situation safe. They did an excellent job protecting the community and helping those in need. Also, our public works departments did an outstanding job cleaning up the debris and returning our infrastructure back to working conditions.
We also want to thank all of the other agencies that generously showed their support. This includes mutual aid from near-by towns, the Red Cross, MEMA, DCR, National Grid, and many more. We send you our sincere appreciation. We also had an outpouring of support and resources from our elected officials. First of all, thank you to our Board of Selectmen, Senator Ryan Fattman, and Representative Joe McKenna. Congressman McGovern and Senator Warren also offered their support in our time of need. Especially, we want to thank Lt Governor, Karyn Polito, for taking the time to come and meet us, show us her support and follow up with additional state resources.
Now comes the long task of cleaning up and returning our homes and businesses back to normal. For those that were displaced from their homes or had other significant damage or hardships there will be a Regional Resource Center available from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM on Monday, August 6th at the senior center. This center will focus on helping those displaced find a more permanent living situation. If you are aware of any local organizations or charities that could offer resources to these displaced individuals, please contact the Town Administrator's Office.
Here is a brief survey to gather information regarding damage to local businesses and homes. If your home or business sustained damage from the tornado, please provide the requested information and we will do our best to connect you with available resources. One of the forms of assistance is Team Rubicon an international non-profit disaster response organization that unites the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy emergency response teams, free of charge, to communities affected by disasters.
Webster is a very generous community. We have already had many offer to assist those that can't return to their homes. For those of you interested in making a donation of material goods, you can drop them off during business hours at the Town Administrator's Office in Town Hall at 350 Main Street. As we have a better idea of those items needed we will make that information available. While not associated or sponsored by the Town, we are aware of a donation page for local businesses that suffered damage from the storm.
As we all work together to rebuild Webster, please feel free to contact the Town Administrator's Office at 508-949-3800ext. 4000 or after hours at 508-341-6558 with any questions or concerns. We will do our best to assist you.
Our hearts are with those that lost their homes in the tornado. We wish you the best as you move forward and offer any assistance we can.