Building Permits Soar as Moore Keeps Rebuilding

Officials in Moore, Okla., issued a slew of new building permits in recent weeks, as residents seek to rebuild from the deadly May 20 tornado that devastated the community.

Moore issued 78 building permits in the last month – compared to 24 permits issued at the same time last year, said Shane Speegle, development services manager for the city of Moore. Of those, 54 permits are for rebuilding and 24 are new construction.

Speegle said the pace of projects has picked up in recent weeks, telling The Norman Transcript that the city has issued 218 storm rebuilding permits since the tornado struck.

“Tornado rebuilds are about twice what normal new construction is doing right now,” he said.

But officials say it’s just a start – the Federal Emergency Management Agency estimated that 1,300 homes were destroyed in the EF5 tornado that also killed two dozen people.

Storm shelters are also cropping up throughout the city. Speegle said the city has issued 896 permits for storm shelters so far this year – while in typical years, about 200 are issued.

The city finished debris cleanup in August and officials say the city is moving forward.

“Our recovery efforts have been strong and we are excited about what the future holds for our community,” City Manager Steve Eddy said. “I am humbled every day to see the caring and resilient nature of our citizens.”