City addresses safety issues during Joplin tornado recovery process

(From the City of Joplin)

The City warns residents to be careful as they move through Joplin due to the number of large truck units that are working in the affected residential areas from the May 22nd tornado. With the Expedited Debris Removal initiative beginning soon, the City has established specific truck routes for the government-funded contractors hauling debris to the landfill in an effort to alleviate traffic congestion in the center of town.

Trucks will travel east and west on 20th and 26th Streets, and travel north and south on Schifferdecker Avenue and Duquesne Avenue. Because of this additional truck traffic, general motorists are advised to use other routes at this time.

Homeowners have expressed concern about various “tags” left on their homes. The City’s Building Department officials explain this “tag” is not stating condemnation of a structure, but is a method to specifically address the safety of the structure for occupancy.

· A red tag indicates that the home is structurally unsafe to occupy, without review by a structural engineer or City Inspector.

· A yellow tag indicates that the house may not be unsafe to occupy, but building officials recommend that the structure be inspected prior to occupancy.

· A green tag tells the resident that the structure has minor damage and it is safe to occupy.

During this structural assessment period, there have not been any residential structures condemned by the City of Joplin. For safety purposes, this tag system was used to assess the structural integrity of homes that were damaged in the tornado.