Last night!

[wx247]

I spent yesterday evening (unexpectedly) at our local city auditorium with 2 meteorologists from the local NBC affiliate (KYTV) who were doing a wonderul presentation on the May 4th tornadoes.

I could get into all the specifics, but I won't unless you want to know about them. However, I wanted to point out 2 specifics from last night that might surprise you.

On May 4th, 5 schools were hit. Since it was on a Sunday there was no one there. Can you imagine what could have been if it had been a weekday?

The second point: of the the 24 fatalities that occured in our viewing area on May 4th... here is how they broke down:

10 in frame homes
9 in mobile/modular homes
4 outdoors
1 in public facility (Pierce City armory)

Point is this: no place is completely safe from a tornado!

[Guest]

On May 4th, 5 schools were hit. Since it was on a Sunday there was no one there. Can you imagine what could have been if it had been a weekday?

If it happened when school was in session, two words: MASS CHAOS!

[breeze]

Garrett, how has Pierce City and surrounding
areas done with rebuilding since last May?

[wx247]

Very good question... Pierce City has hit several roadblocks since the tornadoes came through. One is that the downtown (the main part) that was hit was in a "flood plain" according to DNR (Dept. of Natural Resources). It is debatable whether that is true or not, but oh well!

So, all the buildings were written into a rule of code or something that if the buildings were to ever be torn down or damaged beyond repair that they would have to raise the buildings by a certain amount of feet in order to rebuild.

The family who owned the grocery store could not afford to do that so they began looking for a location outside of the flood plain to build. It just so happens that three blocks north of downtown on Mo. Highway 97 the Baptist Church was destroyed. However, the Baptist Church was vacant because they had just rebuilt a huge one just north of town. They then donated the land to the supermarket. The new one is twice the size of the old one and just opened last week.

There was one section (about three buildings) of the downtown that they didn't tear down and a video store and pizza parlor have opened up in that. Casey's convient store opened back up last fall... September 11th, in fact.

The other gas station (Conoco) has not been touched. The owners apparently can not be located. It is about the only thing that has not been cleaned up.

A few other businesses that were not there before the tornado are beginning to build. A general store is going up as well as a diner called "Freda Mae's". Also, apparently, Dollar General may open up in Pierce City. We have 2 in Monett and the owner is interested in building one there as well. Also, there is a rumor that Subway is thinking about opening a franchise there.

It was such a tragedy, but so many things are coming out of this. The library is scheduled to go under construction late this summer. So... the books are still at my house.

[breeze]

I'm glad that things are finally starting to
come back together. That was very kind
of the church to donate land to the rebuilding
of the supermarket. I also find it amazing
that the Conoco owners "can't be found"!
What does the city do in a situation like that?

[wx247]

I'm glad that things are finally starting to
come back together. That was very kind
of the church to donate land to the rebuilding
of the supermarket. I also find it amazing
that the Conoco owners "can't be found"!
What does the city do in a situation like that?

As of right now... nothing.

[breeze]

It looks like they could run some kind of
public notice in the local paper, for so
long, but, then, that's why I am a nurse,
and, not a lawyer!

[wx247]

It looks like they could run some kind of
public notice in the local paper, for so
long, but, then, that's why I am a nurse,
and, not a lawyer!

Well... a bank owns it right now according to my gradfather. So you KNOW they aren't gonna clean it up.