WLKM Radio 95.9 FM
The mangled and twisted front entrance at Three Rivers Menards has become a symbolic image of the devastation caused by last week’s tornado in St. Joseph County.
Officials of the Wisconsin-based home-improvement company said the building sustained significant damage and there is no timeline for when the location will reopen.
Company spokesman Jef Abbott said it is likely the store will reopen sections at a time, meaning rebuilding will occur in some areas while other parts are repaired enough to allow shopping.
Menard’s officials said building damage will likely be in the millions of dollars, not including lost or destroyed inventory.
Customers inside the store at the time of the mid-afternoon tornado were directed to the center of the store to avoid getting crushed under a potentially toppled wall.
The tornado also damaged a number of other West Broadway Street businesses, many that will remain closed indefinitely. They include Applebee’s, Holiday Inn Express, Century Bank, Omni Community Credit Union, and Kendall Electric.
