A day after a tornado touched down on Smith Island in Somerset County, officials were working Friday to restore power to customers there and to clean up debris as neighbors came together in support. Chief Deputy Paul Keplinger of the county sheriff’s office said Friday afternoon that just one person was reported injured while about 20 homes and five or six boats were damaged. He said three or four homes had “major damage” and that many houses remained without power.
As of 3 p.m. Friday, a GoFundMe site, set up to help victims of the tornado and organized by a local photographer, had raised more than $45,900. Jay Fleming, an Annapolis-based photographer who organized the online fundraiser, said he initially hoped to raise a few thousand dollars to be able to help in a small way. As donations continued to pour in, Fleming had to keep increasing the goal amount so that people could continue to donate.
Friday morning, former state Del. Heather Mizeur, a Democrat who is running against U.S. Rep. Andy Harris to represent Maryland’s 1st Congressional District — which includes Smith Island — shared a link to the GoFundMe site via social media.
Mizeur’s campaign also made a $500 donation to the recovery efforts, a spokesman confirmed. About an hour later, Mizeur tweeted criticism of Harris for not yet addressing the storm or recovery efforts.
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