Several residents of tornado-ravaged Fairdale who survived Thursday's storm remained displaced in nearby Kirkland early Saturday as crews worked to make their damaged town safe for their return.
Many of the residents expressed frustration with the strict evacuation order that prevented them from returning home until Saturday morning.
"They will not let us back in," Fairdale resident Ray Roach said. "My house, there's nothing really wrong with it, and other people's houses are good."
Tornado victims gathered at the Kirkland firehouse on Saturday to pick up donations and meet escorts who bussed them back home.
So far, only residents are allowed back into Fairdale. No family, friends, contractors, spectators or media has been given access to the town as officials deemed the area too dangerous.
The deadly tornado that devastated Fairdale was categorized as an EF-4. It generated winds up to 200 miles per hour and stretched a half-mile wide at times, according to the National Weather Service. The storm killed two people: 69-year-old Jacklyn Klosa and 67-year-old Geraldine Schultz.
Kirkland fire officials stressed the need for continued donations to help rebuild Fairdale, where every home and business was damaged to some degree.
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Visit the Village of Kirkland's GoFundMe page to donate to their efforts.
