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$250K Approved To Remove Tornado Debris In Dexter

DEXTER (WWJ/AP) - Up to $250,000 has been authorized to help clean up fallen trees and other debris from county roadways following a tornado that damaged dozens of homes in and around Dexter.

Cleanup efforts are costing the Washtenaw County Road Commission $20,000 per day. The project is expected to be completed sometime next week.

Private companies hired by some homeowners have been dumping debris in the county right-of-way, and it's the Commission's responsibility to clean and remove trees and debris from the right-of-way on Dexter-Pinckney Road and the other roads, said Managing Director Roy Townsend.

Road Commission officials say they are using every resource available to get the mess cleaned up -- including about eight heavy equipment operators, two hydraulic excavators, two large front-end loaders, a forestry skidder, a tandem dump truck, the mobile grinder/chipper, and three truck and semi-trailers to haul away the wood chips.

After Commission crews have cleaned the right-of-way, Dexter Township officials plan to take care of any other debris brought down to the road by homeowners.

The March 15 twister damaged more than 200 homes in the Dexter area, west of Detroit. About 20 houses were destroyed. No serious injuries were reported.

MORE:  Photos -- Tornadoes Rip Through Michigan

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Help Pours In After Dexter Disaster

Dexter Fire Chief: 207 Homes Damaged By Tornado

TM and © Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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