No firm totally destroyed by tornado, storm

by Doug Walker, Associate Editor Rn T.Com

Damages to the Fairbanks Co. were conservatively estimated at $200,000. That figure is expected to rise significantly. (Doug Walker / Rome News-Tribune)

slideshow A week after an EF-2 tornado etched a swath across Rome and into neighboring Bartow and Gordon counties, a more thorough examination of the damages has resulted in an estimated dollar value for damages to local businesses in the neighborhood of $1.82 million.

The figure does not take into account any losses to residential properties.

Floyd County Emergency Management Agency Director Scotty Hancock reported that two-thirds of the losses were incurred by just six businesses, all estimated to be at a minimum of $200,000, however, none were completely destroyed as preliminary assessments indicated.

The Fairbanks/American Pipe buildings, 202 Division St.; the former Habitat for Humanity HomeMart building, 617 Excelsior St.; Shorter University?s warehouse, 218 John Davenport Drive; Brenda White Insurance, 9 N. Hanks St.; the West Rome IGA shopping center on Shorter Avenue; and mini-warehouses at 702 Shorter Ave. were the businesses that were listed as having sustained major damages.

Keith Clark, owner of the West Rome IGA grocery, said he is still working on a final assessment of the damages at his store.

?Ours is over $100,000 in itself,? Clark said. ?Everything from roof damage to sign damage to throwing away over $70,000 worth of product ? produce, meat, the deli ? we just dumped it in the dumpster out back and watched it drive off.?

Clark said the entire roof over the shopping center is going to have to be replaced.

Similarly, Mark White, manager at the Fairbanks Co., indicated the $200,000 figure placed on their business is expected to be well below the actual cost of repairs to the building that essentially lost two exterior walls and a part of its roof.

Thirty-one other businesses or commercial establishments also sustained losses that are being listed as minor, meaning losses of at least $20,000 were estimated.

On Thursday night, Hancock learned that Floyd County became eligible for assistance through the Small Business Administration.

A disaster loan outreach center will open Tuesday from noon to 6 p.m. at the Northwest Georgia Public Health District office, 1309 Redmond Road.

The hours are: Jan. 4 through Jan. 6, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Jan. 7, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and Jan. 9 through Jan. 12, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Hancock said Thursday he felt confident the county would be eligible.

?We?ve not only met but exceeded the threshold,? Hancock said.

Hancock said all they needed was 25 uninsured or under-insured properties to get the designation for assistance.

Source: http://rn-t.com/bookmark/16938870

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