Frustration in Portage over FEMA assistance denial after May storms [Video]

If you drive through the city two months after a tornado ripped through in early May, damage is still visible.

In response to the FEMA assistance denial, Portage City Manager Pat McGinnis told 13 ON YOUR SIDE, “we’re a little distressed that they have determined this is not a major enough disaster to merit their attention at this point.”

Joyce Lunsford operates the Pizza Hut inside a strip mall near West Centre Avenue and Oakland Drive that was destroyed by the tornado. She’s happy employees working at the store were able to relocate to other locations, but is making no money at the store which is currently closed.

She added, “it was our most profitable.”

McGinnis said Wednesday, “we do not think that local, state, county and non-profit funding is adequate otherwise we would not have asked,” in reference to the …