Leon County has declared a state of emergency to help residents in the Baum Road area continue with recovery following a tornado last week that Commissioner Kristen Dozier says devastated the area.

“And the fact that we did not lose anyone in this storm when you see some of the devastation of some of these houses. It is breathtaking. It could have been closer to Alabama had the storm stayed on the ground for a longer period of time,” Dozier says.

Commissioners also waived building permit fees in hopes of helping families recover more quickly. Dozier says there’s lots of clean up left to do. She’s looking for volunteers to help with work like debris removal.