Air Force chief of staff to tour tornado-ravaged homes near Wright-Patt

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base housing damaged by a tornado Monday will be visited by the Air Force Chief of Staff today.

Gen. David L. Goldfein will tour The Prairies at Wright Field to view the damage inflicted by and EF 3 tornado Monday. Around 150 homes were damaged in the Prairies neighborhood including 14 homes that have since been deemed “unhinhabitable,” according to Wright Patt.

» RELATED: F-35 program with hundreds of jobs gets OK to move to Wright-Patt

Displaced families were directed to temporary lodging facilities to ensure they had a safe place to stay during recovery operations, according to the base. Working with the privatized housing contractor for the Prairies neighborhood, base officials inspected all units for structural damage.

Workers and volunteers cleared downed trees and debris that covered the area and the end of Tuesday, all roads had been cleared for traffic. Electrical service was also restored and an inspection for any exposed or downed lines was conducted, according to the base.

Goldfein, who is the most senior uniformed officer in the Air Force, is at Wright-Patt today to preside over an assumption of command ceremony. Lt. Gen. Arnold W Bunch Jr. will be promoted to four-star rank and will assume leadership of the Air Force Materiel Command during the 1:30 p.m. ceremony.

» RELATED: Once erased from the map, 150-year-old Dayton VA tunnel could be reopened

Damage to Wright-Patt and the immediate surrounding area was mostly confined to the Prairies neighborhood. A survey of both Area A and Area B was completed and minimal damage including downed trees and debris was found, according to the base.

But, Airfield operations were temporarily suspended Tuesday for an inspection of runways and taxiways. Around 331 pounds of debris were removed from the Airfield and operations were deemed safe to continue later in the day.

FIVE FAST READS

• State proposal could lower college tuition for active duty military

• Cash-strapped Wilberforce University trying to raise $2M by June 30

• Fundraising email calling congresswoman a terrorist was sent in UD student’s name

• Trump touts manufacturing growth at Lima tank plant

• Payroll Project: See how much Wright State’s top paid employees make

About the Author