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| Businesses Affected By Elmwood Tornado |
The small town of Elmwood will never look the same, but many people who live there hope it will someday look similar to the town square residents enjoyed before a tornado swept through Saturday evening.
Pat McGuire is president of the Elmwood Chamber of Commerce. She says her family has owned a building downtown that has housed a business of one kind or another for 60 years.
McGuire tells WGIL rebuilding will be a lot of work, but well worth it.
"Everybody needs to back Elmwood, and help us in any way they can so we can put things back," McGuire said. "Many of us have been here all our lives, including myself. I'd just like to see it rebuilt."
Doug Whitney owns a building downtown and says he is ready to start the rebuilding process immediately. Whitney tells WGIL he hopes others in the community will join him.
"I hope everything will be rebuilt exactly as it is, just to restore the downtown Elmwood area," Whitney said. "It's a very historic town. I'm the president of the Historical Society of Elmwood, and I'd like to see the whole town remain the same, and just be more structurally safe in the future."
A meeting was held Monday evening to discuss the possibilities of moving forward and rebuilding. Resident Lynn Tannock tells WGIL many business owners seemed in favor of the idea.
"These buildings have been here for over a hundred-and-some years," Tannock said. "It gives our town character, and now it's destroyed."
Tannock has lived in Elmwood all her life and was volunteering to help while business owners retrieved their things from damaged buildings Monday. She says many buildings are destroyed but even worse is the fact that many people's livelihoods were destroyed as well.
The town has been clearing debris since the tornado struck. Business owners were allowed to enter their damaged buildings Monday to retrieve belongings and necessary equipment. Around 20 businesses were affected, but seven have been able to stay open.
To see photos from Saturday's storms in Elmwood and throughout the immediate area, CLICK HERE. |
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| 06 08 10 by Newsroom |
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