READING — One month after the May 21 EF-3 tornado that ripped through Reading, 53 of the town’s 101 homes have been torn down with two more slated to be torn down this week.
The post office also has been torn down as well as the town’s cafe, The Miracle Cafe. The grain elevator was being torn down Tuesday. The park and all-veterans memorial are all but destroyed.
All that remains of the town’s business structures are a bank building, which was being evaluated Tuesday and a building across the street which houses Heads, Hands and Feet, a beauty shop owned by Richard and Amanda Heathman.
Town Hall also remains, but it isn’t being used because of structural damage right now. The gasoline filling pumps have been brought online but natural gas is still off for many of the remaining homes.
“You can get a haircut and gasoline,” said Barbara Schlobohm, public information officer for Reading.
Schlobohm said most people are in the process of trying to figure out housing so they can return to Reading. Those whose homes are able to be rehabilitated have started the process.
“A lot of homes were not insurable,” Schlobohm said, adding that this factor has created many problems and challenges for residents.
One month after the tornado hit, the adrenaline is wearing off, Schlobohm said.
“Reality is setting in,” she said. “People are becoming stressed and depressed. We’re asking people to see their doctors and seek help.”
Schlobohm said many people are looking to re-build in Reading. The Miracle Cafe will be re-built as well as the grain elevator.
“Most of the people realize that this is an opportunity to have a new and improved Reading,” Schlobohm said.
Schlobohm added the school is getting ready for a new school year and will be open next school year.
There is not, however, any news on the post office as to whether it will return or not. Schlobohm said the post office delivered mail from Admire over to Lebo and the northern part of Lebo.
“It served a large area even though it was located in a small town,” she said.
Getting back to business
Richard and Amanda Heathman are getting back to business in their beauty shop in Reading.
“People have started coming back,” Richard Heathman said. “It’s been a month since their last haircut. It had slowed down quite a bit.”
Heathman’s building was heavily damaged by the tornado, but the tornado spared the business part and a majority of the home part, which is located in the building behind the beauty shop. Heathman said he had only been open two months before the tornado struck.
The family had started renovating another part of the building prior to the tornado. That part of the building is now gutted.
Weathering
the storm
Richard Heathman recalled riding out the storm in the basement of their home. Prior to the storm, the family was out fishing at a low-water bridge.
They came home when they saw a storm approaching, not knowing what was about to unfold. Before the storm hit, he sent his wife and kids to the basement and then noticed the trees were starting to lean and he saw swirls. When he saw part of a roof fly by he then headed to the basement himself.
“Looking back, it sounded like a jet plane pushing a Mac truck through the living room,” he said.
Heathman said he and his family plans on staying in Reading but is saddened that the town is nearly destroyed.
“The whole town is damaged,” he said, through misty eyes. “It’s gone. Everything is affected.”