Sen. Brown tours tornado damage

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Republican Senator Scott Brown and Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno toured some of the areas of the city hit hardest by the tornado, one month after the storm.

Neighborhoods around the Brookings School were severely damaged by the June 1 tornado.

In spite of an outpouring of support from non-profit agencies and the government, many of the homes off Hancock Street are still in shambles.

Senator Brown says it's still too early to tell how much it cost the city to get back to normal. "Certainly the streets are a lot cleaner. Everyone seems to be in rehab or fix-it mode.  I think everytime you take a roof off or take a door off, some new numbers come out. It's going to be a year before we know, " Brown said.

The Brookings School lost several windows and inside walls when the storm hit, but the Mayor says they will be ready in September. "The Brookings School here you can see in the back, Brookings Field, portables will be going there. Mary Dryden School, portables will be going there, so the kids will keep continuity," Sarno said.

A grant awarded to the Massachusetts Department of Workforce Development for $3 million will go toward the repairs to many of the school and public buildings in the city.  It will also create temporary jobs.

Senator Brown hopes those jobs will become permanent as the city works to get back on its feet.