Lisa Hill’s insurance office on East Hoffer Street was destroyed by the storm, but most of her files were on secure servers, protected from the storm.
Hair stylist Mia Hicks wasn’t as lucky. The salon she rents space from on Espanyol Drive had some damage and power was out, so she spent Tuesday unable to take clients.
Mary Carden, who owns Financial Solutions and Investments on East Hoffer Street, had been preparing for a Wednesday ribbon cutting ceremony with the Kokomo-Howard County Chamber of Commerce. Instead, she was cleaning up broken glass Sunday and Monday.
“It’s bittersweet,” Carden said. “Getting the business is a culmination of 18 years of work. But, we were spared any major damage. All around us was destroyed — the bank building is gone, the Hardy Group got it.
Some 60 businesses were hit by the tornadoes which slashed through Kokomo, with Eriks Chevrolet possibly bearing the worst damage. Insurance adjusters were trying to determine this week how much of the dealership’s large inventory was damaged by the storm.
Local and state officials have begun the lengthy process of determining many of the costs associated with the storm, but the loss of economic activity might be one of the toughest numbers to isolate.
“It’s going to take us months,” said the city’s director of development Steve Wikehart, who is busy compiling an “impact statement” for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
A rough estimate of loss to business is just one of the items the city must include in the statement, which serves as a guide to help FEMA decide whether or not to extend federal disaster assistance to the state.
John Erickson, spokesman for the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, said business loss might not be computed unless federal aid is extended.
Direct aid to affected individuals through FEMA’s disaster aid program, or loans extended through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s disaster program, would create a need to identify specific numbers on business loss.
The SBA loan program provided loans to some businesses after the April flood in Kokomo. City and state officials didn’t have immediate numbers available Thursday.
One thing which probably won’t be accounted for is all of the positive economic activity generated by the tornadoes, as insurance activity and repair needs generate a huge amount of work for contractors, and business for local hotels and restaurants.
Shane Pickens of Shane Pickens Roofing said he has two crews working “six days a week, from sunup to sundown” and is considering hiring more.
“We basically have jobs lined up for the next three or four months,” he said.
Chris Hamm, president of the Greater Kokomo Economic Development Alliance, said he’s been concerned with helping businesses get by in the immediate aftermath of the storm, including offering space at Inventrek Technology Park to several displaced businesses.
“In the short term, we’re really trying to help these businesses find interim solutions. The longer term won’t be known for years,” Hamm said.
Both Wikehart and Hamm said it’s hugely important that anyone affected – especially those without insurance – file loss reports. The Indiana Department of Homeland Security (www.in.gov/dhs) has set up a link to file reports on its homepage.