June 2003 - Disaster Business Owners Offer Insight on Overcoming the Worst In the early parts of May, residents of the Midwest received a rude awakening as to the power of Mother Nature. Cities were destroyed and towns leveled as more than 200 tornadoes touched down in more that seven states. Jackson, Tenn., was hit particularly hard, leveling the town and killing at least 11 people. Buildings that have stood for more than 150 years were demolished, leaving residents not only worried about more storms, but the level of asbestos in the air as well. Spring has always been known to be a volatile time for weather for those living in Tornado Alley, and all the destruction in the Midwest was due to elements combining perfectly. "This year, we had a setup with strong systems coming into the plains and southeast," said Steve Wilkinson, forecaster for the National Weather Service. "With the very warm and unstable weather patterns ahead of the storms and with low pressure systems there were perfect conditions to produce the amount and severity of the tornadoes we saw." The Midwest, however, isn't the only place where strong storms occur. The only difference between what happened in the Midwest this spring and what could happen in our area this summer is the form of the storm. "Tornadoes are not a main concern for our area," said Jay Harter II, emergency management coordinator for Hilton Head Island. "I've been with the town for 29 years, and I can only remember maybe two touching down in the area." The main focus of the Lowcountry, unlike other areas in the nation, is hurricanes. "Hurricanes form over water and need warm water to survive," Wilkinson said. "They need 80-degree water temperatures to a depth of 100 feet, and it takes a lot of heating to get the water that warm. Your first hot day in May, the land warms up, but the water takes longer. Late in the summer is when the water's at its warmest; you get these little systems that come across the Atlantic called an Easterly. Enough time on the water, and the systems can develop tropical storms or hurricanes. A hurricane also needs light winds on the top of it to make it effective. It takes a lot of factors to make it work. Everything has to come together perfectly for them to happen." Luckily, there have been few over the years and damage has been somewhat minimal for residents. But that doesn't mean the big one won't happen. Residents and business owners in Charleston know firsthand how damaging a hurricane can be, as a Category 4 storm named Hugo moved through the area in 1989, leaving in its path millions of dollars worth of damage to homes and businesses. Lou Edens, retail merchant, not only had extensive damage to her business in Mt. Pleasant, but to her home and investment property on the Isle of Palms. "Before the storm, I had a home furnishings business," Edens said. "The business flooded and I lost most of the inventory. Then, the insurance company went bankrupt three weeks after the storm, so there was no money coming from the insurance policy for over a year." Edens, having lost most of her business, also faced extensive damage at home. The roof had been torn off and the inside damaged beyond repair, but her spirits remained high, she said. "The hardest thing was sleeping upstairs in the shop without any air conditioning," she said. "My house was demolished and we had to live above the shop. But, everything I had was put back together." Although a negative experience, the damage to businesses and homes had a positive effect as well. "It takes adversity to realize the strength you have," Edens said. "Next time we had a hurricane warning, I wasn't nearly as timid about facing it. It was something I felt like I could face. I realized I grew as a person, and it's not quite as scary." Regan and Nick Barnum, owners of the Alligator Grille, know something about overcoming adversity. A recent fire at their restaurant showed them exactly what's important in life, Regan Barnum said. "(Losing the restaurant) is like a death," Regan said. "It's as old as our son, and it meant something to each of us. Birthday parties were celebrated there. But, after the initial shock, the human spirit goes on to taking care of business." And taking care of business after devastation is something Edens and the Barnums have in common. "As it turned out, the two years after Hugo were the two biggest years for our store," Edens said. "We went through the first year without heating and air conditioning because we needed new ductwork. We were operating with one hand behind our back and a smile on our face. We kept mopping and smiling and keeping up a good front because everybody was in the same boat." Unlike Edens, however, the Barnums didn't have problems with the insurance company and plan to reopen their restaurant in early spring 2004. But, opening a restaurant after a disaster is a time-consuming task, Regan Barnum said. "From disconnecting all the services to starting the claim itself and the talking with the adjusters," Regan Barnum said, "a lot of things need to happen in a sequential way to even get to the point of rebuilding." The best piece of advice both Edens and the Barnums gave was to have a good insurance agent. "(Being prepared) includes most definitely having a good insurance agent," Regan Barnum said. "That way, if the worst happens, you have a good support network, and that takes planning." Planning for the worst is what surviving a disaster is all about. Hopefully, you'll never have to know if the plan works. ™